Science and Islam: A Perspective from Rural Bangladesh
The talk will chronicle my journey in Science while remaining under the spiritual and cultural influence of Islam and describe how Islam inspired and nurtured my journey in Science. My scientific journey consists of studying molecular Biology in University of Oregon followed by Post-Doctoral research at NIH and MIT of USA and career in Science in CSIRO, Australia’s premier research organization. Since 2000 I have been involved in crop breeding using my ancestral land in Bangladesh. My research career has been very productive leading to close to a 100 publications and many patents. But it is my work in Bangladesh that has generated crops vital in the face of climate insecurity and climate change. I have also co-founded Genofax a global company targeting digital health and Gut microbiome. I have also devised a novel strategy for methane mitigation and developed crops that give multiple harvest from the same planting. The specific scientific contents of my work will be described in the context of my own spiritual and cultural journey in Islam. I will argue that key ideas of Islam are a powerful stimulant that sustains a productive career in Science.
Date: 10 October 2023, 17:00 (Tuesday, 1st week, Michaelmas 2023)
Venue: Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Marston Road OX3 0EE
Speaker: Dr Abed Chaudhury (Co-founder and Chief Scientist, Genofax, Australia & USA; Chairman, Krishan Foundation, Bangladesh)
Organising department: Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies
Organiser contact email address: academic.office@oxcis.ac.uk
Part of: Science, Technology, Environment and Muslim Societies (STEMS)
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Public
Editor: Moin Nizami