Islamabad-A Pakistani scientist & scholar has won UNESCO award in science.
The Secretary General of Pakistan Academy of Sciences and Chairman of Biotechnology Department at Quaid-i-Azam University, Prof. Dr. Zabta Khan Shinwari is the laureate of 2015 UNESCO Avicenna Prize for Ethics in Science.
Upon the recommendation of an independent International Jury of scholars and ethicists, this prestigious Award has been conferred upon Prof. Shinwari on 4 November 2015 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris by the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms. Irina Bokova.
The award was given in the presence of Pakistan’s Minister of State for Education & Professional Training, Engr. M. Baligh-ur-Rehman, Minister of Science, Research & Technology of Islamic Republic of Iran (donor of the Prize), H.E. Mohammad Farhadi, Permanent Delegate of Islamic Republic of Iran to UNESCO, Ambassador Ahmad Jalali, Chairperson of International Jury for UNESCO Avicenna Prize for Ethics in Science (2015) and the World Commission on the Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology, Prof. Marie-Hélène Parizeau, and a galaxy of scientists and science administrators from around the world.
The Jury stressed that Prof. Shinwari could be a role model in the area of ethics of science because he combines an outstanding personal commitment to ethically responsible research and responsible science with high academic standards of scientific research, education and management.
Intended to honour the contributions of individuals and groups in the field of ethics in science, the Prize encourages ethical reflection on questions raised by scientific and technological advances.
Established in 2002 by UNESCO, on the initiative of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Prize has been awarded biennially since 2004. The Prize consists of a gold Avicenna medal, a certificate and the sum of USD 10,000. The Prize-winner also is invited to pay a one-week academic visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran, during which he/she will deliver speeches in the relevant academic gatherings, organized for this purpose by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The previous two winners of this UNESCO Award belonged to Canada, and the third to China.
In his acceptance speech, Prof. Shinwari said that the world leaders should slogan for “Human Interest” instead of “National Interest” at least in the common agenda like climate change, poverty alleviation and gender equality. Director General of UNESCO, Ms. Bokova, congratulated Pakistan to have individuals like Prof. Shinwari, who has taken these agenda as a religious zeal to reduce human sufferings and is a role model of young generation of the world in general and the Muslim countries in particular.
The Iranian Minister for S&T was of the opinion that Prof. Shinwari should play a role to bridge and strengthen S&T cooperation between the two brotherly and neighboring countries.
The Afghanistan Minister appreciated Shinwari on winning this prestigious international Award; as Shinwari tribe is predominantly living in Afghanistan, he requested Prof. Shinwari to help in developing S&T in Afghanistan.
On this auspicious occasion, Engr. Baligh-ur-Rehman appreciated UNESCO and Iranian Government for instituting the Award and felt proud that Prof. Shinwari has brought laurels to Pakistan and will be a beacon of light in difficult times for scientists of the developing countries.
Dr.Zabta Khan Shinwari Introduction:
The winner of the 2015 UNESCO Avicenna Prize of Ethics in Science is Pakistani Professor of Biotechnology and bioethicist, Mr Zabta Khan Shinwari.
The Prize, which includes a Diploma, a UNESCO Avicenna Gold Medal and a cheque of US$10,000, will be awarded at an official ceremony that will be organized this year at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 30 September. On this occasion, Professor Shinwari, as the recipient of the Prize, will deliver a keynote Avicenna lecture, which will take place at 5 p.m. (Room II) during a joint public meeting of two UNESCO’s advisory scientific bodies – the World Commission on Ethics of Scientific Knowledge and Technology (COMEST) and the International Bioethics Committee (IBC), both of which will be meeting in Paris for their annual sessions at the same time.
Professor Zabta Khan Shinwari was designated the laureate of the Prize by the Director-General of UNESCO Ms Irina Bokova upon the recommendation of an independent International Jury of scholars and ethicists, including Ms Marie-Helene Parizeau (Canada), Jury’s chairperson and vice chairperson of COMEST, Mr Luka Omladič (Slovenia), Rapporteur of COMEST, and Ms Hebe Vessuri (Venezuela), also member of COMEST.
The Jury stressed that Professor Shinwari could be a role model in the area of ethics of science because he combines an outstanding personal commitment to ethically responsible research and responsible science with high academic standards of scientific research, education and management.
Today, Professor Zabta Khan Shinwari is fellow and current Secretary-General of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, as well as Chair of the Biotechnology Department of the Quaid-i-Azam University of Islamabad. He has a PhD in Plant Sciences from the Kyoto University which he obtained in 1994 and several post doctoral degrees in Agricultural Biotechnology from several prestigious Japanese Institutions. The Jury of the Prize underlined that his international scientific career exemplifies how scientific development has advanced in recent times. Mr Zabta Khan Sshinwari has been able to leverage his scientific and academic work in the East to make an important impact in his country while building strong and significant collaborations with the West. Over three decades of his academic career, Professor Shinwari has worked for the Pakistan Museum of Natural History, the National Agricultural Research Centre, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Pakistan, and several research organizations. From 2004 to 2006, he was Vice-Chancellor and President of the Kohat University of Science & Technology (KUST) and succeeded in establishing University of Science & Technology, Bannu. He is also founder of KUST Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS). Professor Shinwari also worked as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the private research institution Qarshi Research International and was Vice Chancellor and founder of Qarshi University- Lahore.
Professor Shinwari has steadfastly promoted the participation of indigenous peoples and women in the construction of science and in the sharing of its benefits and has worked to empower local communities to use their natural resources and biodiversity in a sustainable manner to achieve an environmentally sound economic development.
The Jury also underlined that Professor Shinwari has addressed sensitive ethical issues in a complex context of globalization. He has made an exceptional contribution to the ethics of science through his deep engagement in research ethics education at the national and regional levels. Furthermore, the Prize recognizes his work with a view to build capacities and to raise awareness of scientists, policy-makers, practitioners and the general public on issues of bioethics, biosafety, biosecurity and on dual-use concerns in biotechnology in order to address effectively security risks, alleviate the chances of potential abuse of biotechnology and promote a safe and secure scientific culture.
Established in 2003 by the Executive Board of UNESCO at its 166th session on the initiative of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the UNESCO Avicenna Prize for Ethics in Science, awarded every two years, is intended to reward the activities of individuals and groups in the field of ethics in science.
By thus promoting ethical reflection on issues raised by advances in science and technology, it is expected to help significantly to increase international awareness and highlight the importance of ethics in science.
