The Philippines received another unprecedented recognition in the international arena with the election of a Filipina engineer in one of the respected global organization of women engineers and scientists.
DA-BAFE Assistant Director Engr. Juana Tapel, PhD was declared the newly elected chairperson of the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists – Asia Pacific Nation Network (INWES-APNN) during the INWES-APNN Annual General Assembly held at the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) in WISMA, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia on October 14, 2022. Receiving the highest number of votes in an online voting participated by Asia Pacific nations representatives, she is the first ever Filipina to hold the said position.
As the chair of PTC WEN (Philippine Technological Council – Women Engineers Network) for seven (7) years, Dr. Tapel is the Philippines’ 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 chairperson of INWES-APNN, Dr. Tapel will succeed Dr. Ariunbolor Purvee of Mongolia when she starts her term of office next year. Previous chairpersons of the organization were Dr. Hyang Sook Yoo of Korea, Mrs. Kayoko Sugahara of Japan, and Dr. Chia-li Wu of Taiwan.
For a three-year term, Dr. 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. Established in 1964, ICWES is an international conference for engineers and scientists that takes place every three years in different countries around the world.
Aside from the APNN, INWES also has three other regional networks – the INWES – ARN (Africa Regional Network), INWES – Europe, and INWES-MENA (Middle East and North Africa). ###???????????????????????????????? ???????????????????? ????????????????
