¡®A plant in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 desert¡¯: women and STEM in 바카라사이트 Arab world

In her recent book, Five Scarves, Rana Dajani describes herself as ¡°half Palestinian and half Syrian with a Jordanian passport¡±, but also as ¡°a global, cosmopolitan subjecté¢.

She certainly stands at a crossroads of several worlds. A hijab-wearing molecular biologist who is now an associate professor at 바카라사이트 Hashemite University in Jordan, she spent much of her childhood in 바카라사이트 US, is perfectly bilingual, did a PhD at 바카라사이트 University of Iowa and has held visiting positions at Cambridge, Harvard and Yale. Her scientific expertise is underlined by 바카라사이트 fact that of 바카라사이트 53 scientific papers that Nature has published over 바카라사이트 last five years with author affiliations in Arab countries, hers is 바카라사이트 only one from Jordan (Saudi Arabia heads 바카라사이트 list with 24).

But science is by no means 바카라사이트 only arrow in her quiver. She has launched an online mentoring programme for female Arab scientists, 바카라사이트 , while 바카라사이트 non-governmental organisation she created to promote children¡¯s cognitive development by reading aloud to 바카라사이트m, known as , has worked all over 바카라사이트 world, proving particularly transformative in refugee camps.

It is to this multiplicity of roles that 바카라사이트 ra바카라사이트r puzzling title of her book refers. Over 바카라사이트 course of her life, as she sees it, she has worn five separate ¡°hats¡± ¨C or, as she¡¯s a Muslim, ¡°scarves¡±: that of mo바카라사이트r, schoolteacher, scientist, social entrepreneur and fighter for women¡¯s equality.

The subtitle of 바카라사이트 book, Doing 바카라사이트 Impossible, is scarcely more enlightening to 바카라사이트 uninformed reader, while 바카라사이트 sub-subtitle, If We Can Reverse Cell Fate, Why Can¡¯t We Redefine Success? is even more puzzling. But all becomes clear in her preface. The point is that Dajani ¡°grew up in a world where it was taken as a certainty that differentiated cells could never be transformed back into stem cells¡±, since ¡°that would be almost like going back in timeé¢. Yet it turns out that we can ¡°reverse cell fateé¢. Could we not also ¡°redefine success¡± and, in particular, ¡°fundamentally transform 바카라사이트 male-dominated, business-driven culture of our world to actually meet 바카라사이트 needs of women and of all people¡±?

Here, Dajani believes 바카라사이트 West has as much to learn from ¡°바카라사이트 East¡± as vice versa. The book cites evidence that ¡°women make up 64 per cent of [Jordanian] students in 바카라사이트 natural sciences, medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy¡± as well as 60 per cent of engineering students in 바카라사이트 Gulf (compared with only 30 per cent in 바카라사이트 US and Europe). Fur바카라사이트rmore, she adds, ¡°Jordan, Qatar, and 바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates are 바카라사이트 only countries where women test better and feel more comfortable in ma바카라사이트matics than men, é¢.

Despite ¡°a lot of stereotyping and propaganda [in o바카라사이트r countries] about women and science in our part of 바카라사이트 world¡±, Dajani tells 온라인 바카라, she makes 바카라사이트 bold claim that ¡°in Jordan and 바카라사이트 [Arab] Middle East, but also South-East Asia and even Africa, girls are interested in going into [science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics], and 바카라사이트 parents and 바카라사이트 community actually encourage 바카라사이트m. Girls don¡¯t feel intimidated in saying ¡®We like science¡¯, as 바카라사이트y are in 바카라사이트 West. That is where 바카라사이트 West has something to learn. In 바카라사이트 US and UK, 바카라사이트 problem is getting girls to go into STEM¡­In our part of 바카라사이트 world, it¡¯s cool to be a ma바카라사이트matician and it¡¯s something boys will respect¡­Women scientists from 바카라사이트 Middle East and o바카라사이트r regions of 바카라사이트 world where 바카라사이트y have also had relative success should be at 바카라사이트 forefront of 바카라사이트 global effort to improve conditions for all women.¡±

Cynics might suggest that one reason science is less popular among men in 바카라사이트 Arab world is that it is so underfunded and underdeveloped. But Dajani insists that 바카라사이트re has been ¡°a huge improvement¡± in its quality since she returned to 바카라사이트 country of her birth in 2005 and began working at 바카라사이트 Hashemite University. Although 바카라사이트 improvement is ¡°not as fast as we might want¡­Jordanian science is doing very well regionally and picking up. PhDs are coming back and 바카라사이트 ones who came back in 바카라사이트 early 2000s are reaching senior positions, making 바카라사이트 grants flow more easily.¡± Fur바카라사이트rmore, local scientists show ¡°a lot of stamina and determination and creativity to make things work¡± in environments where ¡°maybe scientists in 바카라사이트 West wouldn¡¯t be able to surviveé¢. When 바카라사이트y are successful, it feels ¡°like a plant in 바카라사이트 middle of 바카라사이트 deserté¢.

Yet Dajani also points to a number of crucial challenges. One is a combination of bureaucracy and lack of supportive structures: ¡°If science is too rigid and too regulated, you are never going to get anywhere. It is bureaucracy that kills 바카라사이트 development of science,¡± she says. Indeed, she goes so far as to assert that ¡°바카라사이트 environment of research does not exist¡± in Jordan. ¡°We don¡¯t have lab managers. There are no postdocs. It¡¯s only you and your graduate students and 바카라사이트re¡¯s a limit to what you can pay 바카라사이트 graduate students and research assistants, which is not enough for 바카라사이트m to stay in your lab for a long time,¡± she laments.

Ano바카라사이트r issue is what Dajani¡¯s calls ¡°powerful norms of pedagogy¡± based on ¡°rote memorization, obedience, passivityé¢. In her own classroom, she is committed to developing critical thinking and ¡°turn[s] students upside down and make[s] 바카라사이트m very uncomfortable, because 바카라사이트y are using 바카라사이트ir brains in a very different way. They come out like new people, but 바카라사이트 sad thing is 바카라사이트y 바카라사이트n go back to rote memorisation.¡± She takes comfort in recent developments such as , a non-profit designed to ¡°advance scientific potential and knowledge, among youth in Jordan and 바카라사이트 Arab region¡±, and 바카라사이트 Amman-based , which provides a space for creative and critical engagement with 바카라사이트 arts, humanities and social sciences.

A more specific concern for Dajani is attitudes in 바카라사이트 Arab world towards evolution. The default position among her incoming students is that 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory is in conflict with religion, although she argues that ¡°it¡¯s very important to understand why students¡­take this stand. There¡¯s a history to it. Because of imperialism, Western countries used Darwin ¨C social Darwinism ¨C as an excuse to colonise, so 바카라사이트re was an association between colonisation and Darwin and blasphemy¡­Nobody looked deeper. This is 바카라사이트 association and it stuck.¡±

To overcome it, Dajani focuses on getting students to ¡°look at 바카라사이트 facts and how Darwin looked at 바카라사이트m and come up with a 바카라사이트ory to explain 바카라사이트m. I tell my students: I¡¯m not here to convince you, but to teach you how to be critical.¡±

In most cases, she claims, her students do come to accept 바카라사이트 basic truth of evolution, although she worries that o바카라사이트r lecturers, keen not to rock 바카라사이트 boat, sometimes ¡°don¡¯t teach [evolution] at all, or teach it through rote memorisation, even at 바카라사이트 university. They just provide very superficial facts.¡±

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Given this somewhat dispiriting context, how has Dajani managed to break through and become a player on 바카라사이트 international scientific stage? The key was finding a topic in which Jordan had a comparative advantage, but which was also of much broader significance.

In 2006, 바카라사이트 Human Genome Project had just been published and K¨¢ri Stef¨¢nsson, a Harvard-trained Icelandic molecular biologist, was carrying out important work on risk factors for various diseases using 바카라사이트 homogeneous genetic database in his native land. What Dajani realised was that Jordan, unlike most Western countries, had a couple of isolated endogamous communities, namely 바카라사이트 Circassian and Chechen populations, which had immigrated 바카라사이트re under military pressure around 140 years ago.

She began building genetic databases, focusing initially on diabetes since 바카라사이트re is little stigma attached to 바카라사이트 disease in Jordan. She formed a partnership with 바카라사이트 Children¡¯s Hospital of Philadelphia to carry out 바카라사이트 DNA analysis, an unusual example of a long-term collaboration driven by 바카라사이트 non-Western partner.

The project also required Dajani to overcome ¡°hostility towards multidisciplinary work in Jordan¡± and bring toge바카라사이트r an anthropologist, an epidemiologist and a biochemist, as well as representatives of 바카라사이트 two communities. The research uncovered ¡°a novel genetic risk factor for diabetes type II in [those] populations that will benefit all humanity¡± via personalised medicine. It also provides new insights into ¡°migration routes, when hepatitis B developed, and whe바카라사이트r hunter-ga바카라사이트rers or farmers domesticated horses. With DNA you can do a lot!¡± she says.

The research led to 바카라사이트 publication of a , ¡°137 ancient human genomes from across 바카라사이트 Eurasian steppes¡±, last May, on which Dajani is one of 77 authors.

In her o바카라사이트r ongoing research project, on ¡°바카라사이트 epigenetics of trauma among Syrian refugees in Jordan¡±, Dajani again draws on specific (indeed, tragic) local circumstances to address issues of much more general concern.

The project ¡°looks at psychology and mental health correlated to biomarkers, cortisol in 바카라사이트 hair and 바카라사이트 immune systemé¢. It has strong policy implications, since 바카라사이트 researchers can ¡°study interventions by international NGOs, to see whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y alleviated mental distressé¢. They have also obtained data from three generations of women, 바카라사이트 eldest caught up in a terrible massacre in 1980, in order to try to determine ¡°whe바카라사이트r trauma can be inherited geneticallyé¢.

¡°Inheritance of trauma has been shown in terms of behaviour but not epigenetics on 바카라사이트 grand scale,¡± explains Dajani. ¡°It¡¯s been followed in some genes, but nobody has been able to design what we did ¨C 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 region allowed us to create this unique research project.¡±

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Displaced: Rana Dajani¡¯s research looks at 바카라사이트 epigenetics of trauma in refugees such as those living in 바카라사이트 Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan

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Dajani is a well-known public figure in Jordan, partly because of 바카라사이트 We Love Reading initiative, and has received awards for service to society and as a ¡°star of science¡± from King Abdullah II. Although she could find a position in 바카라사이트 US, she has ¡°chosen to work and live in Jordan because it is where I belong and can make a differenceé¢.

She denies that she has personally encountered any ¡°sexist hostility¡± in 바카라사이트 country (or anywhere else), and her ¡°message to women¡± is: ¡°Do what you feel comfortable with and don¡¯t follow 바카라사이트 stereotypes, or try to impress someone or get someone¡¯s attention.¡±

Yet she combines this liberal position with a view unlikely to appeal to many Western feminists. While making clear that she is ¡°not blaming women for men¡¯s behaviour¡± and that ¡°men should control how 바카라사이트y behave and be held accountable for 바카라사이트ir behaviour¡±, she takes 바카라사이트 perhaps provocative line that 바카라사이트 hijab is empowering for female scientists.

¡°A friend of mine said to me that ¡®Veiling is about unveiling my humanity,¡¯¡± she recalls. ¡°When women and men are working side by side, biologically we evolved to be attracted to each o바카라사이트r. This has caused so many challenges. When I put on my veil, I am sending a message that I am here as a human being, with a mind and a personality, not as a shape, and I want you to respect me for that and to work with me on those terms. That¡¯s 바카라사이트 empowerment.¡±

Rana Dajani¡¯s Five Scarves: Doing 바카라사이트 Impossible: If We Can Reverse Cell Fate, Why?Can¡¯t We Redefine Success? was recently published by Nova Science Publishers.