STAFF REPORT ISB: Experts at the three-day workshop of COMSATS, PAS and ISESCO have called for enhanced cooperation
between the collaborating institutions; active participation of scientists and researchers from common member states of
COMSATS and ISESCO in building relevant capacities; increasing awareness and education in biotechnology ethics.
The event was jointly organized by COMSATS, ISESCO and PAS with over 150 participants from around 20 Randamp;D institutions
and universities from across Pakistan.
At the concluding ceremony, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, M. Humayun,
observed some alarming trends in the state of education in Pakistan, specifically the number of out-of- school children, which
is estimated to be 24 million.
Commenting on the theme of the workshop, he considered biosafety, biosecurity and biocontainment important areas of
concern around the globe and lauded COMSATS, ISESCO and PAS for successfully holding the event on this crucial theme.
Dr. I.E. Qureshi, Executive Director, COMSATS; Dr. Abdul Azeez Hameed Ali, ISESCO Representative, Sharjah, UAE; and Prof.
Dr. Zabta Khan Shinwari, Secretary General PAS; also addressed the gathering.
Dr. Qureshi emphasized that such events have a strong intrinsic significance in view of the opportunities for information
exchange, scientist-to- scientist interactivity and inspiration gained by junior researchers from the work of experienced
scholars. Dr. Hameed Ali extended special gratitude of ISESCO to COMSATS for its partnership.
The 22 resource persons of the workshop belonging to Pakistan, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, US, Iran and Nigeria, presented talks to
the participants.
They also discussed the role of institutional biosafety committees (IBC); global health security; biosafety concerns in
developing countries; use of immunochemistry; prevention and control of biological risks; standardization issues; case-
studies of insect resistant GMOs; current and future concerns in GMO crops; biological waste management; code of conduct
for life scientists; biosafety education; and microbial forensics.