Filipino fisheries official to head asian women’s scientists group

PHILIPPINES: A Filipino has been elected chairman of the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists-Asia Pacific Nation Network (Inwes-APNN), one of the most respected global organizations of women engineers and scientists.

Juana Tapel, an engineer with a PhD and assistant director of the Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (BAFE), was elected as the new chairman of the Inwes-APNN during the organization’s annual general assembly held at the Institution of Engineers Malaysia in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia on Oct. 14, 2022. BAFE is an agency under the Department of Agriculture.

She also received the highest number of votes in an online voting participated by Asia-Pacific nations representatives. Tapel is the very first Filipino to be voted to the position.

As the chairman of the Philippine Technological Council-Women Engineers Network for seven years, Tapel is the country’s official representative to Inwes-APNN, a platform for Asian women scientists and engineers to exchange information such as Asian women scientists’ organizations and policies, and the current technology situation in every member country.

As the fifth chairman of the organization, Tapel will succeed Ariunbolor Purvee of Mongolia when she starts her three-year term of office next year. Previous chairpersons of the organization were Hyang Sook Yoo of South Korea, Kayoko Sugahara of Japan and Chia-li Wu of Taiwan.

“For a three-year term, Tapel will lead the Inwes-APNN from 2023 to 2026. Dr. Tapel’s election is expected to boost the Philippines’ bid to host the International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (Icwes) in 2026,” BAFE said in a statement.

Established in 1964, Icwes is an international conference for engineers and scientists that takes place every three years in different countries around the world.

Meanwhile, Inwes has three other regional counterparts for Africa, Europe and Middle East-North Africa.

Source: www.manilatimes.net/