Princess Sumaya addresses Tokyo Science Gender summit

AMMAN — HRH Princess Sumaya, President of the Royal Scientific Society, recently attended the Gender Summit 10 in Tokyo, a conference aimed at examining the position of women in the field of science, according to a statement by Princess Sumaya University of Technology. 

Invited by President of the Japan Science and Technology Agency  Michinari Hamaguchi, Princess Sumaya, who is a leading advocate for science as a catalyst for change in the Arab world, delivered a keynote address under the theme “Better Science and Innovation through Gender, Diversity and Inclusive Engagement”.

In her remarks, Princess Sumaya said she lamented that “so far into this new century, we must still focus on the issue of gender imbalance in research and innovation. This is an imbalance that damages all our societies and deprives our global human family of so much potential for progress and positive change,” the statement said. 

The princess added that, despite increased opportunities for girls and young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and maths, “barriers remain throughout the world that make equality of engagement and opportunity a distant hope”, according to the statement.

Princess Sumaya noted that the presence of women in research and innovation was “sorely needed”, as was the education of “all our daughters” and the enablement of talented young women around the world. 

The summit, which took place between May 25 and 26, was attended by over 600 participants from 23 countries.

While in Tokyo, Princess Sumaya was also received at the Miraikan, Japan’s National Museum of Science and Emerging Innovation, by the museum’s executive director, former astronaut Mamoru Mohri. 

The meeting focused on possible collaboration between the Miraikan and the Kingdom’s Royal Scientific Society and the Jordan National Museum, the statement added. 

The Princess also updated Mohri on the preparations for the World Science Forum 2017, which will be held in November at the Dead Sea, with both Mohri and Hamaguchi expected to attend the forum.