University of Bath academic Dr Taghried Abdel-Magid has won a prestigious international award for her work supporting people in Sudan to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
A lecturer in Regenerative Design, Dr Abdel-Magid has been named alongside the team of Share the Knowledge – Sudan (StK) as the 2026 winner of the Science Outreach category in the Nature Awards for Inspiring Women in Science.
The awards celebrate women’s achievements in science and initiatives that encourage girls and young women to engage with STEM subjects and remain in STEM careers. The Science Outreach award comes with a prize of US$50,000, alongside mentoring and an opportunity to present the winning initiative to scientists at The Estée Lauder Companies, the awards’ partner.
Supporting students and professionals in Sudan
Originally from Sudan, Dr Abdel-Magid received the award on behalf of Share the Knowledge – Sudan (StK), a volunteer, now female-led initiative. StK was co-founded in 2019 by Dr Abdel-Magid, Dr Raheeg Wahbi, and Dr Ammar Babiker, to support Sudanese students, graduates and professionals in the country and all around the world through mentorship, STEM outreach and digital learning.
StK provides a range of online services, such as talks from scientists, which attracted up to 1,500 attendees, and access to a free digital and accessible library in Sudanese-Arabic language. For those pursuing or planning research careers, there is coaching and mentoring, support with developing research proposals and help with interview preparation.
Dr Abdel-Magid said: “Brilliance does not need permission to exist. But sometimes it needs someone to open the door, to turn potential into reality and hope into a future.
“This recognition affirms the importance and urgency of our mission: ensuring that access to scientific knowledge and opportunity is not determined by geography, language, or circumstance. We hope it will help us reach even more Sudanese learners and young people, and inspire them not only to pursue their own aspirations, but to become ambassadors of knowledge and opportunity within their communities.
“Receiving this award is an extraordinary honour and a deeply personal moment. It is a powerful recognition of the collective effort, resilience, and generosity that have shaped Share the Knowledge - Sudan from a volunteer initiative into a community.”
Sudan is experiencing what is often described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Since armed conflict broke out in 2023, some 14 million people have been displaced, either within the country or to neighbouring countries. The United Nations estimated in August that hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives.
Many of Sudan’s universities have also been destroyed. Dr Abdel-Magid and her colleagues established StK before the recent conflict in an effort to ensure that Sudanese learners, especially girls and women whose education is often disproportionately affected by conflict, can continue to access scientific knowledge, along with expertise, training and mentorship.
An expert in sustainability in construction materials and a lecturer in the Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering, as well as a member of the ISCC and the Centre for Regenerative Design & Engineering for a Net Positive World (RENEW), Dr Abdel-Magid with the StK team was one of 13 applicants and initiatives shortlisted globally across the awards’ Science Outreach and Scientific Achievement categories, with the winners recognised at a ceremony in London last week.
Nature is the world’s leading and most influential science academic journal. Its announcement about the awards stated: “Those shortlisted for this week’s Nature Awards have gone above and beyond to foster collaboration and teamwork, and are using their talents, skills and networks to make science accessible to those who would otherwise struggle to study or secure careers in science.”
Professor Phil Taylor, the University’s Vice-Chancellor and President, said: “This is an incredibly well-deserved award and great tribute to the work Taghried and her fellow members of Share the Knowledge – Sudan are doing.
“Taghried is a shining example of the best of what we aim to do – using the knowledge she’s brought and developed here to create ways of helping people around the world, when and where they need it. Doing so by volunteering on top of her impressive research and teaching work is truly special and fully merits this recognition.”