ICGEB alumna Professor Nada Abdel Aziz has been featured in Nature Africa exploring how language barriers continue to shape the careers of researchers across Africa and influence who gets published, funded, and heard in global science.
The feature, Science speaks English. Many African researchers do not, highlights Professor Abdel Aziz’s personal journey from a biotechnology student at Cairo University to becoming an internationally recognised scientist and mentor. It describes the challenges she faced in developing the confidence to communicate science in English, despite studying in the language, and how dedicated language training and supportive mentorship helped her build a successful international career.
Today, Professor Abdel Aziz serves as Associate Professor of Biotechnology at Cairo University and Senior Honorary Lecturer at the University of Cape Town. She is also the recipient of several prestigious distinctions, including the L’Oréal–UNESCO Women in Science Award and the African Academy of Sciences’ African Research Initiative for Scientific Excellence (ARISE) award.
An alumna of ICGEB’s training programmes, Professor Abdel Aziz continues to exemplify the Centre’s commitment to developing scientific excellence and empowering researchers to address global challenges through collaboration and innovation. She also serves on the ICGEB Alumni Committee.
The Nature Africa article examines the broader impact of language on scientific participation, showing how communication barriers can affect publication success, conference participation, networking opportunities and access to international funding. It also explores emerging solutions, including mentorship, multilingual scientific initiatives and the responsible use of artificial intelligence tools to support scientific communication.
ICGEB congratulates Professor Nada Abdel Aziz on this well-deserved recognition and is proud to see one of its alumni contributing to an important global conversation on making science more inclusive and accessible.
Read the full article: Science speaks English. Many African researchers do not, published in Nature Africa (2 June 2026).