Al-Shihab, Al-Rifai nominated for the RSA Royal Fellowship
KUWAIT CITY, March 23: After receiving the Grand Prize from the Global Network for Inventors and Inventors Network (GlobalWIIN), Eng. Janan Al-Shihab and Kuwaiti researcher in genetic engineering and precision medicine Khadija Al-Rifai have been nominated for the Royal Fellowship at the Royal Society for Art and Innovation in London (RSA), reports AlQabas daily.
In a press statement, Eng Al-Shihab said, “In the beginning, the organization was restricted to men, until four women succeeded in joining it in the year 1800 in the fields of art, leadership and innovation. The door was then opened for people in various fields. Many became candidates, but very few were accepted.
My colleague Khadija Al-Rifai and I are proud of this achievement, especially since we are the first two Arab women to be accepted by the organization, which places a great responsibility on us.
Being the ambassador of the Global Network of Inventors, I had the responsibility of establishing the Middle East Network,
and I succeeded in passing this test. Now, after I won the fellowship, there are several responsibilities that lie on our shoulders.”
Eng. Al-Shihab won the Grand Prize from the Global Network in London in 2019, followed by Al-Rifai winning the Grand Prize in 2020, for inventing a modern technology that extends from the genetic engineering tool to target specific places in the DNA and photograph it with high accuracy.
In a similar press statement, Al-Rifai expressed her pride in obtaining an invitation to join the RSA Royal Fellowship, saying, “It is a new achievement, and I am excited to be part of a prestigious global community.”
The organization was founded in 1754, and its members include Nelson Mandela and King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales. He is the dean of the Academy of Arts in London, and one of the largest supporters of art and innovation in the world.