I’m so grateful that Egypt had free high quality public higher education when Ali and I met. If it were not for Ain Shams, I would not have been able… - Kawthar Zaki

My father had hoped for my brothers to become engineers, but I was the one who did in the end. My mother, having raised 7 kids without any help, was very supportive of me

I was the first woman to graduate with a PhD degree from the Electrical Engineering Department at the University of California Berkeley.”

The department has now hired many women and fortunately they have had a much easier time than I did, with maternity leave and lots of flexibility in doing research and teaching. I am glad that this happens, and that women are advancing and doing a great job, but I am still disappointed that in this country, we still have a glass ceiling and so few women choose to go into engineering.