The Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture (CBEC) at SIUT inaugurated its two-day international conference, “The Warp and Woof of Human Morality,” marking the 20th anniversary of the Centre.

The event featured a series of talks by national and international experts discussing human morality and ethics, aimed at both the public and professionals.

The conference opened with Professor Farhat Moazam, the Founding Chairperson of CBEC, who acknowledged Professor Adib Rizvi’s role in the Centre’s growth.

She also discussed the Centre’s national and regional impact, addressing challenges in ethical medical practices in Pakistan.

Professor Anwar Naqvi from SIUT spoke about the Centre’s achievements over the last two decades, while Professor Aamir Jafarey presented a retrospective of CBEC’s milestones using archival media.

Dr. Caesar Atuire, a distinguished bioethics scholar from Ghana and President of the International Association of Bioethics, delivered the keynote address online. He critiqued the colonial influence in bioethical traditions and emphasized the importance of local contexts and values in shaping human morality.

Three CBEC alumni – Dr. Amjad Mahboob (KPK), Dr. Nida Wahid Bashir (Sindh), and Dr. Natasha Anwar (Punjab) – followed, sharing how their ethics education at the Centre impacted their personal and professional lives.

The first day’s afternoon sessions, conducted in Urdu, focused on the challenges faced by women in Pakistan. Dr. Arfana Mallah from the University of Jamshoro discussed the intersection of feudalism and fundamentalism, while author Dr. Fatima Hasan explored women’s voices in South Asian literature.

The day concluded with a play performed by schoolchildren highlighting environmental issues.