August 02, 2019

HSP Spotlight: Samreen Sarwar Attends UN Workshop

HSP Technical Advisor Samreen Sarwar will participate in the first “Global South Biosecurity Diplomacy Workshop” for young scientists hosted by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) on August 3-4, 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland.

At the workshop she will be part of a select group of 20 young scientists, chosen by UNODA through a competitive review process, from across the Global South working on topics related to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). Expert speakers will address topics such as science diplomacy, science advice in the context of the BWC, dual-use research of concern, responsible and ethical science and innovation, global health security and other science and technology topics of relevance to the BWC.  This is also an opportunity to network with her colleagues, share knowledge and discuss visions for the future of responsible bioscience in the Global South. As a part of this event Samreen will also attend the final day of the BWC Meeting of Experts on Science and Technology (MX2) on August 2, 2019 to gain a broader awareness of the BWC. This will enable her to engage directly with diplomats and high-level experts in the life sciences during MX2.

Samreen’s professional experience makes her uniquely qualified for this program; she recently obtained her 4th certification by the International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA) and is an IFBA Global Mentor. She is also a graduate of the Pakistan Biological Safety Association (PBSA) Master Trainers program and holds an M. Phil in Molecular Biology from University of the Punjab, Lahore. Samreen has worked for HSP for 5 years, supporting local educational programming around biosafety in Pakistan and other countries in the region.