University of New South Wales | Australia
Guwahati, Apr 20: In a proud moment for state, a theatre at Australia’s University of New South Wales has been named after Annanda Gohain from Assam.
The Lecture Theater G06 inside the CLB at UNSW in Sydney was named as Annanda Gohain Theatre.
The development was confirmed by state education minister Ranoj Pegu on Twitter as he wrote: “Heartening to learn about @UNSW's gesture to name its theatre after Annada Gohain, the first woman to graduate from UNSW's School of Chemical Engineering.”
Pegu also added, “She was a trailblazer regarding women's education and her story will continue to inspire women from across the world to continue pursuing their dreams.”
Gohain was the first woman to graduate from UNSW’s School of Chemical Engineering. She then completed her postgraduate degree from the same university on July 13, 1959.
The topic of her research was Production of High Quality Orange Juice Concentrate.
Annada Gohain was the daughter of renowned educator Mahendra Nath Gohain of Nizarapar in Guwahati and elder sister to critic and scholar Dr Hiren Gohain.
Gohain, was a Kharghuli resident, died on September 19, 2011, at the age of 81, in a private hospital in Guwahati. In 2007, she retired from the Assam Government as Additional Director (Agriculture).
The official website of University of new South Wales wrote, “Celebrating UNSW Women aims to increase the visibility of women across UNSW’s public, physical and digital spaces. This collaborative University-wide project is focused on ensuring better representation of the remarkable and diverse UNSW community. As a leading Australian university, we need to be guiding the way in gender equality. Renamed spaces you will see on the tour of the Kensington campus include:
• Anita B. Lawrence Centre
• Annada Gohain Theatre
• Catherine Harris Courtyard
• Clara Patricia Alfonso Theatre
• Diane Kell Theatre
• Eleonora Kopalinsky Lawn and more”