Fatima Zohra Benhamida

2017 fellow of Algeria Fatima Zohra Benhamida was recently selected for the
competitive Science by Women fellowship run through Women for Africa
Foundation. The fellowship, now in its fifth year, selects top African female
researchers working in technology for a six‐month postdoctoral fellowship in one of its Centers of Excellence in Spain. The program’s ultimate goal is to enable African women researchers to return to their communities and bring their experience to solve challenges in food security, water, energy, economic science and more. Fatima has a PhD in computer science and is an assistant professor at the National School of Computer Science in Algiers. She is also a board member of the TechWomen/TechGirls Club in Algeria.
Each Center of Excellence accepts one female researcher; Fatima is currently
placed at the University of Deusto in Bilbao, working alongside a team that
focuses on addressing socioeconomic issues through technology. She recently
authored an article for the foundation, chronicling her experience thus far and
reflecting on the technical and leadership skills she has gained. “Not only was I
able to present my work and share my knowledge with my peers, I have also been offered the privilege to contribute in European projects that work to solve complex issues (energy and climate change, human wellbeing, eHealth…),” Fatima writes. “These experiences will allow me to come back to my community with innovative processes and new perspectives to tackle the great challenges faced by my country.”