Basima Abdulrahman
Basima Abdulrahman | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Alma mater | Auburn University |
Basima Abdulrahman (born 1986/1987) is a Kurdish Iraqi structural engineer and the founder of KESK (meaning Green in Kurdish), an Iraqi company specialized in eco-friendly architecture.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Abdulrahman's parents moved to Baghdad, Iraq from southern Turkey; she was born in Iraq, and has both Turkish and Kurdish heritage.[2] In 2006, the Iraqi conflict drove her family to relocate to the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq.[2] As a result, Abdulrahman learned more about and became closer to her Kurdish heritage.[2]
As a child, Abdulrahman's family encouraged her to become a doctor, but she disliked biology, instead preferring math and physics.[2]
In 2011, Abdulrahman applied for a Fulbright Scholarship to study in the United States.[2] Abdulrahman attended Auburn University in the United States, where she earned a master's degree in structural and civil engineering, graduating in 2014.[1][2][3] She returned to the United States in 2016, where she completed a program by the US Green Building Council to become an accredited professional.[4]
Career
[edit]When she returned to Iraq in 2015,[4] Abdulrahman initially worked as a structural engineer for the United Nations.[5]
In 2017, Abdulrahman founded KESK Green Building Consulting, the first Iraqi company to focus on "green" architecture.[2][3] It took Abdulrahman nine months before she was able to find her first client.[5] KESK combines modern environmentally-friendly building techniques with ancient techniques, such as building dome-shaped homes from clay bricks.[3] The company also seeks to provide alternative energy sources to communities, particularly solar energy, in response to Iraq's unstable power grid.[5][6] The company was also founded in part to assist with reconstruction following the war against the Islamic State, which began in 2014.[1][3]
Abdulrahman also works for the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization as a national consultant and project manager, and as vice curator for the Global Shapers Erbil Hub, an initiative of the World Economic Forum.[2]
Recognition
[edit]In 2021, Abdulrahman was one of eight entrepreneurs who won the Cartier Women's Initiative Award, with Abdulrahman representing the "Middle East & North Africa" category.[7] She received $100,000 in prize money.[7]
In November 2023, Abdulrahman was named to the BBC's 100 Women list.[1]
Personal life
[edit]As of 2019, Abdulrahman is based in Erbil.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "BBC 100 Women 2023: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Nelson, Carol (18 May 2018). "It's my job: Basima Abdulrahman". Auburn Engineer. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Collard, Rebecca (16 January 2019). "Eight Young Leaders Share Their Visions for Shaping the Decade Ahead". TIME.com. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Interview with Basima Abdulrahman". KAPITA. 19 June 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ a b c "Meet the Women Pioneers Creating Green Jobs in Arab Countries". japannews.yomiuri.co.jp. Thomson Reuters Foundation. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ Ifteqar, Naheed (27 May 2021). "This Iraqi Entrepreneur is One of the Eight Laureates of the Cartier Women's Initiative". Vogue Arabia. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ a b DeMarco, Anthony. "The Cartier Women's Initiative Awards $100,000 To 8 Women Entrepreneurs". Forbes. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- 1980s births
- Living people
- 21st-century businesswomen
- 21st-century engineers
- 21st-century Iraqi people
- 21st-century Iraqi women
- 21st-century women engineers
- Auburn University alumni
- Iraqi businesspeople
- Iraqi civil engineers
- Iraqi environmentalists
- Iraqi Kurdish people
- Iraqi Kurdish women
- Iraqi people of Turkish descent
- People from Baghdad
- People from Erbil
- Structural engineers
- Women environmentalists