2^nd Annual South Asia Biosafety Conference

Plenary Session I: Perspectives on the Regulation of Genetically Engineered Organisms in South Asia

Biosafety Regulations in Sri Lanka: A Status Update
Prof. Athula Perera – National Science Council, Sri Lanka

Perspectives on the Regulation of Genetically Engineered Organisms in South Asia: Bangladesh Perspective
Mr. M. Solaiman Haider – Deptartment of Environment, Bangladesh

Regulation of Genetically Engineered Organisms in Bhutan
Ms. Tashi Yangzom – Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority, Bhutan

An Update on Indian Biosafety Regulatory System
Dr. Vibha Ahuja – BCIL, India

Biosafety Regulatory Systems in Pakistan
Dr. Muhammad Khurshid, Director General, Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, Pakistan

Parallel Session I: Research and Development of Genetically Modified Organisms in South Asia

Transgenic Crops at ICRISAT: From Product Development to Deployment
Dr. Kiran Sharma – ICRISAT, India

Application of Reproductive Biotechnology for Improvement of Dairy Animal Productivity
Dr. M.S. Chauhan – National Dairy Research Institute, India

Genetic Modification of Several Plant Species by Transformation of Gai Mutant Dwarfing Gene for Improved Ornamental Qualities
Dr. Sriyani Peiris – University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

Current Status of Research and Development of GE Plants in Bangladesh
Dr. Md. Aziz Zilani Choudhury – BARC, Bangladesh

Current Status of Research and Development of GE Plants in Sri Lanka
Dr. C. Hettiarachchi – University of Colombo, Sri Lanka

Parallel Session II: Biosafety and Regulation of Genetically Engineered Insects

Virus-Resistant, Transgenic Silkworm: Development, Efficacy, and Biosafety Considerations for Commercial Scale Production
Dr. P.J. Raju – Andhra Pradesh State Sericulture Research & Development Institute, India

Biosafety, Regulatory Aspects and Performance Assessment of Transgenic OX513A Strain of Aedes Aegypti L. in India
Dr. P.B. Patil – GBIT India, India

Mosquito Control in Sri Lanka: Strategies and Challenges using Biotechnology
Prof. Wimal Abeywickrama – University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka

Progress on the OECD Consensus Document on the Biology of Aedes Aegypti
Dr. B.K. Tyagi – Center for Research in Medical Entomology, India

Practical Experience in the Field Release of Transgenic Mosquitos
Dr. Kevin Gorman – Oxitech Ltd., UK

Regulatory Considerations and Management Practices for the Commercial-Scale Release of Transgenic Mosquitos in Brazil
Dr. Paulo Paes de Andrade – Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil

Parallel Session III: Tools for Science Communicators

New Media for Science Communication
Mr. Amit Agarwal – Digital Inspiration, India

The Importance of Social Media: Twitter 101
Mrs. Libby Williams – Agriculture & Food Systems Institute, USA

Digital Story-Telling for Science Communications and Agricultural Development
Mr. Vinay Kumar – Digital Green, India

Putting Communications Theory into Practice
Dr. Gita Bamezai – Indian Institute of Mass Communication, India

Plenary Session II: Agricultural Biotechnology and Adaptation to Climate Change

The Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Productivity in South Asia
Dr. Lareef Zubair – Foundation for Environment, Climate and Technology, Sri Lanka

Addressing Crop and Livestock Productivity Constraints Caused by a Changing Climate: The Role of Agricultural Biotechnology
Dr. Swapan Datta – ICAR, India

New Plant Technologies to Address Climate Change: Opportunities for Biotechnology Innovation and Challenges for Regulation
Dr. Jeff Wolt – Iowa State University, USA

Increasing Abiotic Stress Tolerance for Rice Improvement in Bangladesh
Dr. Zeba Seraj – University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Biotechnology Applications to Mitigate Climate Change Challenges for Agriculture
Prof. Shailaja Hittalmani- University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore, India

Plenary Session III: Regional Harmonization of Risk Assessment Approaches in Agricultural Biotechnology

The Role of the OECD in Facilitating Regulatory Harmonization
Dr. Bertrand Dagallier – OECD, France

Regional Harmonization: Reflections on the Regulation of Genetically Modified Organisms in the European Union
Dr. Hans Bergmans – RIVM (Retired), Netherlands

Progress and Challenges for Implementation of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Policy on Biotechnology and Biosafety
Dr. Charles Mugoya – ASARECA, Uganda

Harmonization in the Asia-Pacific: Views from a Recent Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institution
Dr. J.L. Karihaloo – Asia-Pacific Consortium on Agricultural Biotechnology, India

Update from the South Asian Regional Workshop on Biosafety in Bhutan
Ms. Tashi Yangzom, BAFRA, Bhutan

Risk Assessment Harmonization: Lessons Learned from the South Asia Biosafety Program
Dr. Vibha Ahuja, BCIL, India

Efforts to Promote Regional Harmonization in South Asia: Next Steps
Dr. Syed Humayun Kabir – SAARC Agricultural Center, Bangladesh

Opportunities for Advancing Regional Approaches for Biosafety Risk Assessment and Regulation
Dr. Morven McLean – Agriculture & Food Systems Institute, USA