IRF Book Launch: Essentials of Biological Security: A Global Perspective

The Interdisciplinary Research Forum invites you to a book launch:

Improving biosecurity education appears to be a key means to address the need for awareness raising and education about the dangers of the dual use research for life scientists within a culture of responsible research under BTWC or CBW. Although it has been advocated for a long time, it still presents a challenging task for all stakeholders, especially for life science communities.

We recently published an edited biological security education book . This is the first of a series of biosecurity education resource books.

In its introduction, the book begins by reiterating the importance of improving biological security after the pandemic and defines biological security as the prevention of natural, accidental, and deliberate disease in humans, animals, and plants. While stressing that all three aspects are interrelated and critical to each other, the book’s focus is on the prevention of deliberate disease and on the life sciences.

We also take a broad view of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and the regulatory regime, and therefore we include mid-spectrum agents such as toxins and bioregulators and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). It is argued that the World Health Organisation’s Global Framework is the best approach to biosecurity with multiple stakeholders being seen as having a range of tools and mechanisms available to help improve biorisk management.

The sections and chapters of the book are then outlined before it is suggested that in the longer term an International Biological Security Education Network (IBSEN) similar to The International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN) run by the IAEA will be needed to effectively improve biosecurity.

In this launching workshop, the leading editor Professor Lijun Shang will explain the background of initiation of this book, including the purpose and strategy plan of using the book to implement biosecurity education. Professor Malcolm Dando will give an overview of the book with brief introduction of each chapter, and Professor Weiwen Zhang will talk about our promotion plan for this book, including translation, workshops, and future publication plans.

We will also have chapter authors to briefly introduce their individual chapters either in person or through a video recording. Finally, we will have Iris Magne to talk about our plans of using this book as a first stepping stone in the current project of Building up An International Security Education Network to include the book.

Q&A sessions will be facilitated to answer questions on the book and invite potential collaborators to join us in our IBSEN work.

There will be refreshments served after the event.

This will be a hybrid event delivered at the Holloway campus (room TBC) and online via Teams.

If you are London Met staff or student, please use your London Met email address to register.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

TM3-03, Roding Building, London Metropolitan University, 166-220 Holloway Road, London, United Kingdom