Skip Navigation

Follow SciDev.Net on Twitter

Find us on Facebook

News

  • Print
  • Comment
  • | Share

Omani wins UNESCO prize for ethics in science

Wagdy Sawahel

24 May 2005 | EN

Daar says science in developing countries must focus on local needs

Daar says science in developing countries must focus on local needs

Abdallah Daar

[CAIRO] Omani biomedical scientist Abdallah Daar has been awarded UNESCO's 2005 Avicenna prize for ethics in science.

The prize, which recognises outstanding achievement in the field, was announced on 19 May. It includes US$10,000 and a one-week academic visit to Iran, which funds the prize.

The award is named after the 11th-century physician and Islamic philosopher, Abu Ali al-Husain Ibn Abdallah Ibn Sina — known in Latin as Avicenna — who spent his life promoting ethics in science.

Daar is currently director of ethics and policy at the McLaughlin Centre for Molecular Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada. He is also director of the applied ethics and biotechnology programme at the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics and co-director of the Canadian Program on Genomics and Global Health.

He previously held the chair of surgery at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman.

Daar has made several contributions to promoting consideration of the ethical issues raised by advances in science and technology, such as living donor organ transplants, the use of stem cells, and transplanting animal organs into humans.

He told SciDev.Net that his work "relates to the equitable use of science and technology for health and development in the developing world. It aims to reduce global knowledge divides in areas such as genomics, biotechnology and nanotechnology" (see Harnessing genomics and biotechnology to improve global health equity).

Daar believes that the first step to promoting ethics in science in developing countries is to encourage more science and technology focused on local needs and based on sound policies.

"Good practice and ethics come from empowerment, transparency, inclusivity and respect of all involved," he adds.

Add your comment

This is your network: share your views on any of our articles by adding your comments.

You need to be signed in to post a comment or to email a consenting comment author. Please sign in or sign up.

All comments are subject to approval and we reserve the right to edit comments containing inappropriate/unsuitable language. SciDev.Net holds copyright for all material posted on the website. Please see terms of use for further details.

All SciDev.Net material is free to reproduce providing that the source and author are appropriately credited. For further details see Creative Commons.

Back to News
To the top

Science at Rio+20 by iStock/RapidEye

Latest on Rio+20

We track the news on science, technology and the Rio+20 Earth Summit

Rights-based agenda

A women's rights focus in health policy and research needs to be revived, argues Priya Shetty

From brain drain to university systems

Keep up-to-date with how science and innovation policy can contribute to sustainable economic growth
Algae grown in a laboratory - Flickr/kaibara87

Backyard vaccine

People in the developing world could one day grow their own malaria vaccine from algae in the backyard, say researchers
Tunisian flag - Shutterstock

Reaching out

Tunisia wants to work with more developing countries — starting with India

From influencing policy makers to science journalism

Learn more about the value of communicating science effectively
African scientist studying bean disease - Flickr/CIAT International Center for Tropical Agriculture

Hard to agree

Latest from Rio+20 talks: The text is still too long and now it lacks science