Lianhe Zaobao, 16 July, 2021
(English Translation)
Two female executives share their experiences in the technology industry and hope to encourage more women to join
Lynette Tan, CE of Singapore Space and Technology Ltd, has loved mathematics and science since she was a child, and it was natural for her to join the technology industry.
With a background in chemical engineering, she is currently promoting space technology in her work, including assisting countries lacking satellite communications during the coronavirus epidemic.
Lynette shared her experiences and insights of the technology industry at the online technology conference “AccelerateHer Asia” forum yesterday, hoping to encourage other women. Tan Kiat How, Minister of State of the Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Communications and Information, was the guest of the conference.
According to official statistics, 41% of the local technology industry is female. This is not only the highest rate in the region, but also higher than the global average of 28%.
Lynette said that to this day, people are still surprised that women are engaged in the science and technology industry, and even surprised that she is studying chemical engineering. But as more and more women join the science and technology industry, this is actually no surprise.
“Being a role model for others and being a member of the women’s space science and technology community gave me great encouragement.”
Singapore Space and Technology Ltd is a non-profit organisation. Lynette said that the company aims to connect space technology industry players with companies that need these technologies, and space technology is not just about going to space.
For example, she said, people can use space technology to transmit information across large areas, environmentally friendly agriculture methods, and use solar power to generate electricity.
Another forum guest, Chen Lizhou, an executive of Amazon Web Services, said that she was involved in the technology industry by coincidence.
After graduating from philosophy, she first worked as a civil servant, then joined a local information technology company, engaged in sales and business development, and then moved to a number of multinational companies.
Now at Amazon, she is responsible for contacting government agencies in Southeast Asia and assisting customers in using cloud technology to serve the people in education, health, and non-profit fields.
Chen Lizhou mentioned that in the company’s cloud innovation competition last year, local start-up company Graffiquo used Digital Twin technology to help the Cavayan Municipal Government in the Philippines to predict floods and deploy emergency services. She was very encouraged by the award.
The project was inspired by the disaster caused by the typhoon in Kavayan City in 2019. The three-dimensional digital map produced by the award-winning team can accurately analyze the terrain, infrastructure, bridges, houses and population density without on-site inspection, and predict floods by monitoring soil loss and river water volume.
Chen Lizhou said: “I didn’t expect that I would join the technology industry, but technology can bring social and economic contributions, and can become a bridge on the digital divide. These are the motivations that inspire me.”
新加坡航天与科技公司行政总裁陈淑婷从小喜欢数学与科学,投身科技业对她而言再自然不过。
化学工程背景出身的她,目前在工作上推广航天科技,包括在冠病疫情行动受限期间,协助缺乏光纤网络设施的国家使用卫星或高空伪卫星通信。
陈淑婷昨天在线上科技大会“加速她亚洲”(AccelerateHer Asia)的论坛上,分享自己在科技业的经验与心得,希望鼓励其他女性。国家发展部兼通讯及新闻部政务部长陈杰豪是大会嘉宾。
本地科技业 女性比率区域最高
根据官方数据,本地科技业有41%是女性。这不仅是区域最高的比率,也比28%的全球平均高。
陈淑婷说,时至今日,人们还是对女性从事科技业感到意外,甚至是对她修读化学工程专业感到意外,但随着越来越多女性加入科技业,这其实没什么好惊讶的。
“能身为别人的榜样,身为航天科技女性社群的一分子,给了我很大的鼓励。”
新加坡航天与科技公司是一家非营利机构。陈淑婷说,公司旨在为航天科技业者与需要这些科技的企业牵线,而航天科技不只是跟去太空有关。
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