Lafifa Jamal

Dr. Lafifa Jamal is a Professor of the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Dhaka. She is the former Chairperson of the same department. Previously, she was a faculty member of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Dhaka. She is also serving as the Provost of Shamsun Nahar Hall, University of Dhaka. Dr. Jamal is currently serving as the President of Bangladesh Women in Technology (BWIT), which is dedicated to facilitating women involved in different technology industry levels and creating a wide range of professional development and networking opportunities and making meaningful contributions to the growth of Bangladesh. She is the Founding Director of Bangladesh Flying Labs which is a hub to connect robotics and tech researchers and enthusiasts from home and abroad for social justice, equality, and development. She is also serving as the Vice-President Bangladesh Open Source Network Foundation (BdOSN) which aims to create a youth community empowered with technology, innovation and knowledge and bring more girls into STEM education and the ICT profession.

She has had a significant role in raising the awareness of computer programming in female students of Bangladesh. Dr. Jamal is the Founding Advisor of IEEE University of Dhaka Women in Engineering Student Branch Affinity Group and IEEE Robotics & Automation Society University of Dhaka Student Branch Chapter; and Founding Moderator of Dhaka University Science Society. She has been elected to the Senate of Dhaka University and has also been an elected member of the Dhaka University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) several times. She is the former Treasurer of the Bangladesh Computer Society (BCS). She is a Senior Member of IEEE and a Fellow of Bangladesh Computer Society. She delivered invited talks in South Korea, the USA, Spain, China, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. She sits on various international advisory boards and review panels, and serves in many program committee roles for various international conferences. She is the International Partner Country Representative from Bangladesh for the action “European Network for Gender Balance in Informatics” under European Cooperation in Science and Technology. Under her leadership, Bangladesh got the first Gold Medal in the 20th International Robot Olympiad 2018 held in Manila, Philippines. She is the Founder President of the Bangladesh Robot Olympiad Committee and a Member of the International Robot Olympiad Central Committee.