Join the UNESCO Chief of Section for Basic Science, and question her on Research Innovation and Engineering challenges
Title: “Strengthening Basic Sciences: Towards Sustainable Societies" by Prof. Amal Kasry
When: Thursday March 28, 2024
16:00 CET (10:00 ET)
REGISTER HERE
Now available : YouTube Recording
Dr. Amal Kasry
Chief of Section for Basic Science, Research Innovation and Engineering,
Division of Basic Science and Science Policy,
Natural Sciences Sector; UNESCO HQ
Biography
Amal Kasry is currently the Chief of Section for Basic Science, Research Innovation and Engineering, which is part of the Division of Science Policy and Basic Science, Natural Sciences Sector at UNESCO. Her major role is to Design, implement, monitor, and evaluate basic and engineering sciences programme in order to ensure the delivery of the expected results approved by UNESCO’s governing bodies in the field of basic and engineering sciences capacity development for research, education and innovation. She also delivers expert advice and comprehensive programmes to Member States.
Prior to joining UNESCO, Amal Kasry was an academic/scientist with a wide range of international experiences in Materials Science and nano-Biotechnology. She received a fellowship from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPIP), and obtained her PhD from the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany in 2006, with her major work in biosensing applications. She has worked as an academic and researcher around the world in academic institutions including UConn Health Centre (USA), Cardiff University (UK), and Austrian Inst of Technology (Austria), and industrial corporates such as IBM (USA) and Nitto Denko (Singapore).
She joined the British University in Egypt on 2015 as an assistant professor in the faculty of Engineering for four years, before being appointed as the Director of the Nanotechnology Research Centre (NTRC) (April 2019-April 2021), where she designed and established a robust research services system for the university in addition to her research which was focusing on developing novel biosensing technologies and carbon nanomaterials. Dr. Amal Kasry is author of about 36 peer reviewed publications, 7 book chapters, and holds 4 patents. She is also a reviewer for several scientific publishing houses and funding agencies.
ABSTRACT
UNESCO is the only United Nations Agency with mandate in science, which contributes to UNESCO’s mission to build peace in the societies. The Natural Science Sector at UNESCO has distinct role that no other bilateral or multilateral development partner can match in generating relevant data and knowledge products, providing expert advice, and convening power. This is ensured via generating normative knowledge and policies through UNESCO’s intergovernmental and international programmes, UNESCO’s category 2 Centres (which are Centre’s of excellence), and UNESCO Chairs, as well as through global networks of the International Centre of Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).
In this talk, the focus is on how the challenges that the Natural Science sector is addressing, specifically in the fields of basic sciences and engineering and how solutions are determined through global science, technology, and innovation. I will also discuss some of the programmes and activities that we are currently performing at UNESCO to strengthen and promote capacity building basic sciences and the potential impact of this on the different societies. Lastly, I will present the role of UNESCO as the lead agency of the newly proclaimed International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development.
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