ABOUT US
The Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture (CBEC), SIUT was inaugurated on October 8, 2004 in Karachi, recognizing the need for ethics related education and research in Pakistan that are relevant and responsive to local cultural and social realities. CBEC remains the only such centre in Pakistan today.
COLLABORATIONS
COLLABORATIONS
World Health Organization
The Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture (CBEC), SIUT was designated a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre (CC) for Bioethics in 2017. CBEC was the first CC for Bioethics in the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) of WHO. At present, there are – WHO CCs for Bioethics, including CBEC, in different regions of the world. These CCs are key institutions serving as essential resources in support of the WHO’s implementation of its ethics mandate.
CBEC-Kemri Bioethics Trainng Initiative
In 2016, the Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture (CBEC) in collaboration with the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) were funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s Fogarty International Centre to build capacity in bioethics through implementation of a bioethics training initiative. This funding facilitated the development of the CBEC-KEMRI Bioethics Training Initiative (CKBTI).
Upcoming Event
CBEC Forum (Hybrid) - Tiny Kidneys, Big Dilemmas: Approaching Pediatric Nephrology Ethics in Different Socioeconomic Contexts
This Forum will focus on the role of colonialism in creating the Zionist state and the impact of the creation of Israel on Palestinians and neighboring countries.
Dr. Taymiya R. Zaman will provide context for the events of October 7, 2023, and discuss the forces shaping activism today.
Through parallels with British colonialism in India and how that continues to impact present-day Pakistan, she will explore the interconnected nature of post-colonial struggles in the Global South.
Dr. Zaman is a professor of history at the University of San Francisco, US, where she teaches classes on South Asia and the Middle East.
She is also a writer and artist. She can be followed on her Instagram @taymiyazaman.
This Forum will be held in person at CBEC-SIUT. Those who are unable to attend on-site can participate via Zoom.
Click this link [https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsdO2vrz8uGNGjcPz0jfDCFqSFgZ58Xfwh] to register for the Zoom invite.
This session will also be live-streamed on our Facebook page.
CBEC Forum (Hybrid) Awaz Khazana: Lutfullah Khan’s Audio Archives
Dr. Khursheed Abdullah
CBEC Events
“Re-imagining Vaccination as a Public Health Priority: From Polio to HPV” October 4, 2025
On October 4, 2025, with Dr. Natasha Anwar, Assistant Professor, AKU and MBE alumnus (online) and Dr. Asma Nasim, Professor, SIUT and PGD alumnus (third, left). They addressed systematic failures in vaccination programs in the country.
“Depiction of Gender Roles in the 1960s Cinema of Pakistan” December 18, 2025
“Depiction of Gender Roles in the 1960s Cinema of Pakistan” with Dr. Kamran Asdar Ali, Professor of Anthropology, University of Texas, Austin on December 18, 2025, during Module 4. This session was not only attended by the PGD and MBE students, but also attracted a large on-site and online audience.
6th Asia Pacific Bioethics Education Network
(APBEN) Conference
October 31-November 1, 2025, Hong Kong, China
Organized by the Centre for Bioethics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, the event featured plenary sessions, workshops and symposiums. CBEC faculty, Mr. Farid bin Masood (right) presented findings from his MBE thesis on medical decision-making whereas Saima Saleem (left), PGD alumnus (Class of 2023) and Communication Consultant at SIUT, presented her PGD project on patients’ rights. Both seen here with their Best Presentation Awards.
Korean Society for Medical Ethics Conference:
Global Health Ethics for the 21st Century
November 26-27, Seoul, South Korea
Dr. Moazam seen here with conference participants and Professor Ilhak Lee, Chair, Medical Humanities and Social She gave a talk about “Doing Bioethics in Pakistan: An Insider’s Perspective.” In this, she used local cases to highlight contextual ethical issues related to practicing medicine in Pakistan. She also attended the concomitant annual meeting of WHO Collaborating Centres for Bioethics and presented CBEC’s activities of the past year.
Global Forum on Bioethics in Research (GFBR):
Reimagining research partnerships
November 18-19, 2025, Accra, Ghana
Ms. Sualeha Shekhani (right) attended the GFBR as a Planning Committee member, which explored how global health research collaborations can be made just and equitable by addressing power imbalances. She co-chaired a plenary session, “Futures: reimagining health research partnerships” with Dr. Jospeh Ali (North America, second from right). Speakers on the panel included Dr. Nadia Tagoe (Ghana, first right) and Dr. Pamela Cajilig (Philippines, second right).
Inauguration of the International Islamic
Bioethics Association (IIBA)
December 10-11, 2025, Doha, Qatar
Dr. Farhat Moazam (first, left) at the IIBA inaugural event with its founding president, Dr. Mohammed Ghaly (third, left), Professor at the Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics. IIBA aims to enhance Islamic contributions to global ethical dialogue. Dr. Moazam is a member of the IIBA Advisory Board, which includes international scholars such as Dr. Mohammad Ahmad Aljarallah (Kuwait, sixth, left), and Dr. Nancy Jecker (USA, third, right) among others.
Second Annual Surgical Conference:
Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS)
October 16-17, 2025, Karachi
During this conference, Dr. Nida Wahid Bashir gave a talk titled “Transparency in Surgical Errors: An Ethical Perspective.” Her talk highlighted the importance of embedding ethical values within the healthcare system to maintain accountability when dealing with surgical errors. Dr. Nida emphasized the role of healthcare organizations as moral agents responsible for ensuring better reporting and disclosure systems. The highlight of the plenary was that it was well attended by the student body at DUHS.
ICON 2026: The Indus Hospital and Health
Network (IHHN)
November 27, 2025, Karachi
Dr. Aamir Jafarey was invited as a panelist on a panel, “Ethics in Biorepositories: Challenges and Solutions.” The discussion provided insights into various misconceptions surrounding biobanks, not only among the public but also among healthcare professionals. Dr. Aamir features in the group photo with other panelists, including Dr. Abdul Bari Khan (IIHHN), Dr. Tania Bubela (Aga Khan University), Dr. Jamshed Akhter (National Institute of Child Health, Karachi), and Dr. Nasim Salahuddin (IIHN).
Symposium: The Wounded Storyteller
Lahore University of Medical Sciences
October 31, 2025, Lahore
Dr. Aamir Jafarey (front left) was invited to this symposium due to his background in clinical medicine and bioethics. His talk, “(Un)Silencing Narratives through Bioethics: Using Humanities to Examine the Human Condition,” critiqued the limitations of a medical education system narrowly focused on ‘disease’ at the expense of the fuller experience of ‘illness.’ He then demonstrated how CBEC’s curriculum uses literature, art, and film to provide health professionals with a deeper analytical framework.
33rd International Conference: Association of
Pediatric Surgeons of Pakistan (APSP)
December 4-7, 2025, Karachi
Dr. Moazam gave a keynote address at the association’s conference. She is seen here with Dr. Muhammad Arshad, President APSP (second right) and Dr. Saleem Islam, pediatric surgeon and Chair, Department of Surgery, AKU, Karachi (far right). Her talk, “Ain’t nothing small about operating on little humans: Reflections of an erstwhile pediatric surgeon,” included empirical data from an ongoing CBEC study about male and female representation in different surgical subspecialties in Pakistan.
Methods and Ethics of Research
Khyber Medical University (KMU), Hazara,
May 13-15, 2024
As part of CK-BTI, a collaborative workshop with KMU was conducted to highlight ethical issues associated with health research. The picture shows participants engaged in a discussion with CBEC faculty includ ing Dr. Aamir Jafarey and Ms. Sualeha Shekhani.
Train the Trainers
Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), Karachi
May 2024
At the request of DUHS Vice-Chancellor, a course has been initiated to train DUHS medical faculty in teaching bioethics to medical students. The picture shows Dr. Farhat Moazam and Dr. Bushra Shirazi conduct ing a session on “Informed Consent.”