19 August 2026
We meet Nida Saleh, an MSc Engineering Management(opens in new tab) student, Student Ambassador, and member of the SU crew. She also, impressively, became Pakistan's first female train driver in 2025. We discuss her achievement, the barriers she faced, and her advocacy for greater gender equality in the transport and engineering sectors.
"In Pakistan, women are generally considered homemakers," says Nida. While her brother was learning to drive a car and quickly gaining independence, she wondered why it was so rare for women to do the same.
Determined to achieve her own independence, Nida had ambitions to build a career in engineering. She pursued a bachelor's degree from the University of Engineering and Technology in Lahore, Pakistan.
"To me, the best part of the job was being fearless, getting stuck in, and showing just how capable I am."
Nida Saleh, MSc Engineering Student
Advocating for gender equality
While she faced initial uncertainty about why she would want to work in such a male-dominated field, her family supported her.
She credits her mother for her success, saying, "In a society where women are encouraged to choose traditional roles, my mother taught me never to allow other people's expectations to define what I could achieve."
Nida worked hard and secured a job as a transportation engineer. Wanting to progress further, she then took on a role that would – quite literally - put her in the driver's seat, when she decided to become a train driver. She said, “I did the research, and I thought, why not me? I wanted to be an example to other women.”
During her six months of training, male colleagues regularly doubted her abilities, but she persevered, and after qualifying, began working for Lahore's Metro system. Nida recalls, "To me, the best part of the job was being fearless, getting stuck in, and showing just how capable I am."
Nida's impact as Pakistan's first female train driver continues. She has assisted in training twenty female drivers, and on a recent trip to Pakistan, former colleagues told her that more women are pursuing careers in transport.
Enhancing her skills at UoSiL
After making the change she set out to make, Nida's next stop was UoSiL. She said, “I joined the university because I wanted to learn how to become a leader and keep encouraging that change.”
She expressed her ambition to move into an Operations Manager position, and work towards making the transport and engineering sectors more inclusive.
She continued, "I've learnt so much during my time here. All my lecturers have been so supportive, and through taking advantage of other opportunities like the Student Ambassador role and the Employability service, I feel so motivated and prepared to achieve my goals."
With Nida's student journey almost complete, she is certainly on track to continue making an impact through her ambition and her advocacy.