Name: Shilpa Rumjeet
Role/Occupation: Chemical Engineer
Country: South Africa
Shilpa Rumjeet is research administrator at the Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research (CeBER), at the University of Cape Town (UCT), where she is responsible for the coordination of various projects. Her main project focuses on wastewater generated by biorefineries and the value-added products that can be created from this wastewater if processed appropriately such as biofuels and clean water.
She is also involved in many side projects which range from investigating post- mining transformation through the fibrous plant economy to the assessment of the techno-economics of valorisation of vinasse in the sugarcane industry. Rumjeet’s main aim is creating value from waste, “I strongly believe that we need to move towards a bio-economy where the traditional petroleum derived products such as fuel and plastics are substituted with their bio-based and biodegradable counterparts.” Rumjeet believes in a waste free future, “incidentally we must move towards a circular economy where there [is] no waste generated when waste is treated as a resource from which we can extract value. My work revolves around these emerging concepts and I derive immense satisfaction in knowing that I am contributing in the move towards a sustainable future.”
Rumjeet has journeyed far to reach her current position. She completed her primary and secondary education in her home country of exotic Mauritius; after which she pursued a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering at University of Cape Town in South Africa from which she graduated with honours in 2012. She then obtained a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering, specialising in Bioprocess Engineering.
This was followed by her return to Mauritius where she worked as a bioprocess engineer involved in the production of biogas from wastes at a start-up company. However, her true passion has always been research and when she was offered a job in the research centre of her former postgraduate supervisor, Prof Harrison she gladly accepted and returned to South Africa. From her experience thus far in the engineering field, Rumjeet surmises that “it has been easier to navigate [her] professional life in an academic environment as opposed to an industrial one. Being a female engineer in the field presented more challenges where sometimes you would feel undermined with regards to your male colleagues.”
One of the highlights of her career thus far was being selected as one of the 25 winners of 736 applicants from over 100 countries for the annual international competition called Green Talents hosted in Germany in 2018. Green Talents focuses on identifying promising potentials in sustainable development research and enterprise. The participants joined a local 2-week science forum where they had an opportunity to learn about the German sustainable development research landscape.
With regards to her opinion of the future of STEM in Africa, Rumjeet is very optimistic, “I think there is a lot of space for the STEM community to grow especially with South Africa’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals...” She is also positive about the progress of African women in STEM, “There is a growing incentive to attract more girls to STEM fuelled by organisations like Women in Engineering, who are doing a marvellous job of providing support to both students as well as budding professionals and entrepreneurs.” Her advice to young women aspiring to enter the STEM field is “sustain your motivation and drive throughout your education/career. Remind yourself that hard work eventually pays off.”
Read more about Shilpa Rumjeet in an insightful interview below, which will have you converting words into knowledge in much the same way as she converts waste into value.
Shilpa Rumjeet was interviewed by Dhruti Dheda, the founder of the African Steminist on behalf of Geeky Girl Reality. The full interview can be found here.
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