Scientist Ilham Kattan made her dream a reality

Why did you choose me to meet me? ” Elham Kattan wonders, adding, "All that I made in my life are just things that were inevitable by virtue of the nature of my life." So the molecular virologist and specialist in viral liver diseases, who holds a PhD with high esteem from London, sees that what she did was nothing but a natural course for the kind of life she lived. The reason for the success of Dr. Elham Kattan

Dr. Elham bint Talaat bin Mahmoud Qattan, as you see it, is to the family in which she grew up, between a mother and father who loved culture and knowledge, in addition to their knowledge and their long life in Italy, in addition to her mixed roots, so her grandmother to her father was Lebanese.

Kattan had enrolled in medical school, but she could not continue. "Some of us dream of something that is too big for us," she says, adding, "I did not have the strength to endure anatomy lessons," so she decided to change her major from surgery to virology. But the dream of a specialist doctor still haunted her, and due to her mastery of the bachelor''s degree, her parents decided that their daughter would go to get the best education in the best European universities, and so Kattan moved to study at the University of London, where she stayed for 12 years.

In London, Kattan''s personality changed a lot, from those years it turned out, “I admit that the British system, which is different from all the world’s systems, even European, has affected me strongly. And it was my admiration that despite all this civilization and urbanization, the British stick to their old customs and traditions. From British culture, I learned to debate scientific arguments, calm, accept others, respect individuality and privacy while respecting the community context itself.

When Kattan returned to Saudi Arabia, she did not feel as dry or alienated as expected. On the contrary, through her position as a professor at the university, she tried to present all that she had taught her students. "I never found it difficult when I came back," she says. "Everyone welcomed me and respected me and I got a job quickly." At the same time, however, she believes that the labor market for Saudi women needs a methodology that must be developed by the official system itself, as this is the main problem, she believes.

As for the most difficult issue Saudi women face now, Kattan believes that it lies in the existence of all these intellectual currents that differ and differ in viewing women as an existing social and cultural role. There are open and extremist currents, and this may lead women into internal and societal conflict as well. Especially after globalization began to inevitably affect the life path of young people. And make them dream about change.

On the other hand, Kattan believes that the position of Saudi women in terms of their presence in public life has become very different, and she confirms that positive changes are inevitably coming, and all that is there is that she needs more patience. And open dialogue between youth and community leaders so that this generation can express its orientations, reveal its dreams, and learn controversy, agreement and disagreement.

Kattan always thinks out loud, which is why she did not hesitate to fly in the world of writing and creativity, so she wrote many literary, intellectual and scientific books. Including "Thoughts of its West", "The Protium Mystery", "What does the West Want from Saudi Women", "Western Globalization", "The Challenges of the Time", "Scientific Debates".

It is also currently working on preparing to publish a book on viruses between science and reality. Likewise, Kattan did not stop at personal achievement in her life as a successful woman, nor as a distinguished university professor. Rather, I thought about the community to which she belongs, so I submitted three proposals to the Ministry of Higher Education: The first is the establishment of mobile epidemiological centers at the Two Holy Mosques Gate in 2007, and then the proposal to establish a department for humanitarian follow-up, scrutiny and guidance for scholarship students in 2009. The last proposal is a project to establish the College of Science Molecular.

It is beautiful and hopeful that these efforts were not in vain .. The silently working researcher has met all the appreciation of all the official Saudi and British institutions. The University of London awarded her a Certificate of Appreciation for Excellence in Work. And she became a prominent science wherever she landed in a science conference that she spent her time examining, and considered it strong evidence of miracle, for she had never imagined that these small creatures would be the focus of her attention and that the infinitesimal details were essential to changing life and obtaining psychological and social calm. Elham Kattan''s life went as she loved it and lived the lucky woman who made her dreams a reality. ....