Drs. Abdelbagi Ismail and Uma Shankar Singh Win 2023 David and Betty Hamburg Award for Science Diplomacy

Video on 2023 David and Betty Hamburg Award for Science Diplomacy Winners, available here.

Full AAAS story about 2023 award winners, available here. 

About the 2023 AAAS David and Betty Hamburg Award for Science Diplomacy recipients: 

Two scientists have received the 2023 AAAS David and Betty Hamburg Award for Science Diplomacy for their work on seed exchange agreements in Southeast and South Asia: Abdelbagi Ismail and Uma Shankar Singh.

The award recognizes an individual or a small group working together in the scientific, engineering or foreign affairs communities making an outstanding contribution to furthering science diplomacy. First established in 1992 as the International Scientific Cooperation Award, AAAS renamed its Award for Science Diplomacy in 2021 for David and Betty Hamburg, who championed science diplomacy throughout their careers in science and medicine as a means of advancing science, human rights, peace and cooperation.

Ismail is a Sudanese botanist who has worked for the International Rice Research Institute for more than 20 years. In 2017, he established IRRI’s Africa Regional office, which he currently leads. Singh is an Indian plant pathologist who is currently the Asia & Africa Advisor for Research and Partnerships at IRRI.

The Seeds Without Borders initiative was created in response to the need for international collaboration on seed varietal development without compromising seed quality, as the availability of quality seeds is a particular challenge in the Global South that can affect food security and climate change resilience.

Through the initiative, Ismail and Singh have worked to harmonize seed policies and formalize exchanges of key crops across countries. In 2017, they convened representatives from countries in South and Southeast Asia who ratified the Siem Reap Agreement: Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Myanmar, Vietnam and Philippines. This work builds upon two previous agreements involving India, Bangladesh and Nepal. These agreements have been implemented and have already led to better domestic seed policies and fewer tensions among the nations, according to IRRI. The initiative also has the potential to continue growing the network of seed exchange agreements, they noted.

AAAS President Dr. Keith Yamamoto (right) presents Dr. Uma Shankar Singh (left) with the AAAS David and Betty Hamburg Award for Science Diplomacy. Photo Credit: Robb Cohen Photography & Video

“I am honored and privileged to receive the 2023 AAAS David and Betty Hamburg Award — a humbling recognition of the work done to further the potential of science diplomacy in agriculture, as a means for poverty reduction and the empowerment of farmers worldwide,” said Ismail. “This award stands as a symbol of our collective efforts to advance the global sharing of knowledge and innovation for a more prosperous, equitable and food-secure world.”

Added Singh, “This recognition of Seeds Without Borders by AAAS will go a long way in expanding agreements like this to cover more countries—particularly in Africa and the Pacific.”