Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann, Dean of the School of Engineering Sciences, recently received two prestigious awards at the 2023 Engineering Excellence Awards, recognising her as the “Distinguished Woman in Engineering” for the second time in a row and for her contribution to Research (Academic/Industrial) in the Project/Practitioner category.
In a statement following the event, Prof. Effah Kaufmann expressed her gratitude to the Ghana Institution of Engineering, on being selected for these prestigious awards and highlighted their significance to the engineering practice. She emphasised that the Distinguished Woman in Engineering award aims to empower women in engineering by recognising their contributions and encouraging greater participation due to their under-representation in the field.
Additionally, she stated that the award endorses her activities, lends credibility to her work and motivates her to pursue excellence further. She also highlighted how the awards have inspired her to enhance her mentoring activities and serve as a role model for aspiring female Engineers.
Prof. Effah Kaufmann expressed optimism about the current landscape for women in engineering, citing increased awareness and interventions aimed at facilitating their participation. She mentioned the establishment of professional associations offering support and scholarships for women pursuing engineering careers.
She identified lack of infrastructure, under-representation of Engineers and insufficient resources to deliver engineering projects as challenges faced by the engineering profession. To address these issues, she suggested establishing research that identifies real-world problems with interventions and encouraging partnerships between industry and educational institutions to train Engineers.
Adding that , she had introduced the 'Adopt a Course' initiative in the School of Engineering Sciences, which aims to align student courses with industry needs.
Reflecting on her journey as an Engineer, Prof. Effah Kaufmann stated, “I have not regretted being an Engineer not even when the days are tough.” She encouraged aspiring Engineers, especially women, to put in the time, effort and hard work to ease their way into the field, to seek out mentors for guidance and to find joy in the profession.
Prof. Effah Kaufmann called on the government to incentivise collaboration between industry and academia to address challenges by providing funding and creating an environment conducive to partnership through policy.