Awarded as the Best Inventor in 2007, she was born on September 19, 1970. Her inventions include “removal of poisonous chemical ions from waste water through natural zeolite”. Maryam Kargar Razi (Ph.D) is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Chemistry at Azad university in Tehran North branch. Here, we have done an interview with her about her success.

Q:First of all,I would like to thank you for agreeing to hold an interview and also for the time you allocated to us. Please introduce yourself. Tell us a little bit about your background, field of study, degrees, etc. 

I am Maryam Kargar Razi. I have been a faculty member of the university for 16 years. My field of study is industrial and mineral chemistry. I received my PhD in Tehran and my Post-Doc in Germany. Presently, I am the concessionaire, the director and the editor of a general information journal called Kavoshgar and also of another scientific journal called Glass Science and Technology. Previously I was in charge of the Electroplating Industry and the Serat Journals of the university. Therefore it is about 14 years that I have been active in publications.  I am the head of the Iranian Industrial Waste and Mineral Research Center which happens to be the first industrial unit in the country too.  I have so far completed the writing of 14 ISI articles, attended more than 20 international conferences, written more than 40 scholarly works in promotional, scientific and industrial journals, and have also authored books on mining industries. I have registered 13 national inventions and carried out18 projects. I have been granted the WIPO gold medal for the best inventor as well as different medals, inscriptions and honors in the field of industry.

Q:  Why did you choose this subject? What were your motivations at every stage, and who encouraged you throughout your career? 

From the fifth grade, when I became familiar with the concepts of basic sciences, I liked chemistry, and by reading the biography of famous scientists, I learned that no pain no gain. I also learned that I have to observe the three rules of trying, persevering and exercising patience if I want to be successful. The abovementioned scientific achievements are what I dreamt of. During the high school years, these goals became my fervent wishes to the extent that I dedicated 99 percent of my time and energy to them. And now I think that I have achieved these goals through observing these three factors. In order to maintain and improve these achievements, I work and study and I always keep in mind that science should be the means to achieve human perfection, and a way towards self-realization and self-esteem. This is the path to serve society and to keep the people satisfied. The approach of the people towards educated and active individuals is different. They expect more eloquence and observance of the rules of conduct. In other words, a scholar should be pious too.  I have always tried to be active in society while remaining committed to my family, and I know that this is a divine gift to me to be able to do so. 

Q: Tell us about your activities. In 2007, you were introduced as the best inventor in the country, tell us about it. 

Undoubtedly, conducting targeted research in science and technology leads to certain achievements.  In this respect, after checking my CV, the WIPO international institute rewarded me the title of the best inventor. My specialty is research in the field of industrial wastes and in the field of methods of recovery, elimination and recycling for the optimization of which the use of up to date technology is needed.By optimization we mean achieving valuable industrial products with the help of nanotechnology through economic and applicable processing. 

Q:To what extent has your parents’ training method been influential in building your career? Why should trainings of this kind start from childhood? What is your advice for mothers in this respect?  

When I was a child, because I was the first kid in the family, my parents always paid attention to me and encouraged me. However, the scientific facilities at hand in those years were limited to some books, 2 journals about general information, and 2 TV channels, which were available to all other kids in our generation. But such things as classes for arts, sciences and sports or journals, books, information centers, internet, satellite channels, CDs and DVDs were not available to us at that time. Anyway, in spite of the limited facilities of that time, I always spent my time on studying, sports and mental exercises. My family always focused on moral education and teaching the rules of conduct, and they regarded such traits as the essence of humanity. My late father always emphasized that “knowledge and science should be at the service of human values and the growth of knowledge in you, try your best to make the most of them.” I think that this is the best attitude for training. It is not prudent to be tough on children, let them play and have fun. Through raising their spirits and helping them have fun, creativity would grow in them at the right time. In my opinion, having a degree is different from being successful in science. Degree can be pursued for different reasons like receiving a higher salary, having a better job and the like. But the factor behind success is not only a certain degree. Rather, motivation and enthusiasm are the main factors. 

Q:Do you think that this subject is suitable for women? Do you recommend this field? Have gender issues created an obstacle for you? 

In my opinion, which is based on Islam, men and women are equal and gender-based separation is not a good idea for scientific centers.  Before choosing their subjects or their jobs, women and men should take into account whether they have the time, bodily strength, psychological capacity, and the ability to engage in social activities – or whether they can build them. Otherwise, they would lose their time and efforts, and would hurt others too. For women, it is very important to remember that they should have feminine traits while they are in the family role, but that they shou ld instead show certainty and seriousness in the workplace and during social activities. However, there are lots of different arguments in this respect. But to my mind, the main thing that prevents some of the educated women from going out to work is the abovementioned factor.The responsibility of organizing the family is so heavy and time consuming that there are only a few women who have a schedule for social activities and forget many of their rights , including the right to relaxation, rest and personal entertainment. Instead, they focus on hard work in order to organize their lives. 

Q:Has there been any reception for women in this field? 

Based on my own experience, employers only think about the result of the work and don’t think about whether a man or a woman has done the job. The fact that they speak about the limitations of men or women in any specialty, as I said before, goes back to personal situations such as daily schedules.   For example, if I – as a specialist and consultant – defined limited hours, a high salary and excellent facilities for my work, a similar male applicant would be found who would not set such conditions. As a result, the employer would in this case definitely opt for the male applicant because of the lower costs and the less amount of time that needs to be spent to carry out the project. Whether the person doing the job is man or a woman is not a primary issue here.  

Q:In your opinion, regarding today’s situation, what is the duty of Muslim women as members of their respective societies? To what extent is the role of Muslim women significant in the progress and development of Islam?  

Muslim women, through observing the values of the family as a basic social institution, can be very helpful in strengthening the Islamic society. Much has been said about Iranian Muslim women in every social scene. These are facts which cannot be denied, and going to this topic needs another opportunity. 

Q:And finally, would you please tell us about the secrets behind your success in life and also about how you were able to manage your life to reach this level of success? 

I believe that the keys to success are trying, perseverance and patience as well as trust in God and remembering that it is our duty to work towards construction for as long as we are alive and have the required energy.