Through this edition, the aim is to promote women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and demonstrate their contribution to society. According to the Unesco Institute for Statistics data, less than 30% of the world's researchers are women. The development of society and achieving a knowledge-based economy needs the contribution of all its members but currently there is limited representation of women and minorities in STEM fields. Work led by female investigators continues to increase, and one of the goals of this journal is to introduce some of those exciting nanotechnology projects.
The articles in this special issue cover a wide range of topics, including smart nanomaterials, sensors, nanotechnology for environmental management and water security, renewable energy, and nanomaterials for health applications. It also includes different technical approaches from fabrication, property enhancement of applications, and device improvement.
These topics are the content of the exciting work in nanoscience and nanotechnology, with the participation of 22 researchers from prestigious universities from 15 different countries around the world, published on the occasion of the International Women's Day in March.
Four leading researchers in the field supervised the issue: Prof Mariam Ali al-Maadeed, QU’s vice-president for Research and Graduate Studies; Professor Dr Zainuriah Hassan from the University of Science in Malaysia; Professor Nandika D'Souza, University of North Texas; and Dr Goh Pei Sean from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
In a statement, Dr Hassan said: “This special issue highlights the contributions of researchers around the world who have played very important roles in advancing knowledge in nanotechnology and advanced nanomaterials to develop high-efficiency and environmentally friendly hardware technology. It is hoped that this special issue will provide a platform to improve communication and open up new horizons for co-operation as well as present some new ideas for research in nanotechnology.”
Professor D'Souza added, “Special issues that highlight women's leadership and technical excellence are an urgent need to communicate women's exceptional capacity. Transformative areas, such as nanotechnology, reflect that women are both technically excellent but also lead teams that have been successful early in predicting the needs of the future.”
A path for creating an advanced society is being paved with nanotechnology, which is a transformational path for Industry 4.0. It contributes benefits in many important domains, including medicine, energy, environmental protection, construction, etc. Advances in nanoscience increase the knowledge of materials on a smaller scale, particularly their fundamental physical, chemical and biological properties that differ from their aggregate forms.