London Met Professor addressed an exciting new education initiative at an international conference.
Date: 24 October 2022
Professor Lijun Shang was invited to speak about his research at an international Science and Technology Conference entitled “Advancements in Science and Technology: Benefits and Risks for the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)”. This took place on 11-12 October 2022 at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi, India.
The Conference was organised by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, BWC Implementation Support Unit (ISU), with the financial support of the European Union and in cooperation with the Government of India and the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA).
Over fifty international representatives from academia, industry, and civil society attended the Conference to discuss and review the latest developments in science and technology relevant to the BWC, in preparation for the Ninth Review Conference.
Professor Lijun Shang gave a talk entitled "Improving Biosecurity Education for Life Scientists in Support of the Tianjin Guidelines: Towards an International Biosecurity Education Network". In his talk, he addressed some key issues around biological security education, such as:
1) The gap in biosecurity education for life scientists both evidenced by WHO and the Biological and Toxins Weapons Convention (BTWC);
2) What we know about biosecurity education globally in the past two decades;
3) The need for innovation and for one-stop-shop resources to support the implementation of the Tianjin Guidelines; and
4) The need for coordination and cooperation, a proposal for International Biological Security Education Network (IBSEN), similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Professor Shang also joined a panel discussion on the science-policy interface which covered funding, communication and capacity development of science and technology in biosecurity.
Alongside other invited speakers from all over the world, Professor Shang is further promoting this exciting initiative of IBSEN at a side event at the 9th BWC Review Conference in Geneva from 28 Nov to 16 Dec 2022. This is an excellent opportunity for Professor Shang to present his work and that of the London Met’s Biological Security Research Centre.
The photo is used with permission from BWC ISU.
