Prof Dr Saleemul Huq appointed to UN's Scientific Advisory Board

Global climate expert Prof Dr Saleemul Huq OBE, Director of International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) and Professor at the Department of Environmental Science and Management at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), has been appointed as one of the external members of a new Scientific Advisory Board of the United Nations (UN).

The members specialise in various disciplines including climate change and development, computer science, ecology, human-centred artificial intelligence, humanities, law, molecular and cellular physiology, and so on, reads a press relase.

"I am deeply honoured and humbled to be appointed as one of the external members of the UN's Scientific Advisory Board. This further strengthens my commitment to advancing climate science and finding sustainable solutions to the challenges we face. Together, we can make a difference and drive positive change for a sustainable future," said Prof Huq.

"Scientific and technological progress can support efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals – but they are also giving rise to ethical, legal and political concerns that require multilateral solutions. My Scientific Advisory Board will strengthen the role of the United Nations as a reliable source of data and evidence, and provide advice to me and my senior management team," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in the UN press release.

Guterres announced the creation of the Board on 3 August, 2023, the press release mentioned.

Centred around a hybrid model, the Board comprises a group of seven eminent scientists with a track record in applying their expertise, including in the humanities, and another group of Chief Scientists of different UN entities, the UN University Rector, and the Tech Envoy. The Board itself will act as a hub for a network of scientific networks, advise UN leaders on breakthroughs in science and technology, how to harness the benefits of these advances and mitigate potential risks.

The six other external members of the board are Prof Yoshua Bengio from Université de Montréal, Canada; Prof Sandra Díaz from Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina; Prof Fei-Fei Li from Stanford University, USA; Prof Alan Lightman from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA; Prof Thuli Madonsela from Stellenbosch University, South Africa; and Prof Thomas C Südhof from the Stanford University School of Medicine, USA.

"Heartfelt congratulations to Prof Dr Huq on his prestigious appointment to the UN's Scientific Advisory Board. It is a recognition of his expertise in global climate issues and a testament to his dedication and hard work in the field. As the Director of ICCCAD at IUB, Dr Huq has been a guiding force in shaping sustainable solutions. We are proud to have him as a distinguished member of our family," said Tanweer Hasan, PhD, vice chancellor of IUB.