• June 12, 2020 – Dr. Farhat Moazam and Dr. Aamir Jafarey attended a virtual meeting of the Global Network of WHO CCs for Bioethics, the Regional Ethics focal points and HQ Ethics held on June 12, 2020.
• August 8, 2020 – As part of inter CC collaboration, a teaching session was organized by CBEC on Saturday, August 8, 2020 in which Prof. Keymanthri Moodle (Director Centre of Bioethics and Law, Stellenbosch University SA, a WHO CC) was invited to hold an online session on ‘Critical Care Constraints: Difficult Decisions in LMICs’ for CBEC’s Post Graduate Diploma and Master’s in Bioethics students.
• September 9 and 11, 2020 – Dr. Farhat Moazam and Dr. Aamir Jafarey attended the virtual 13th Global Summit of the NECs.
• September 25, 2020 – Dr. Farhat Moazam and Dr. Aamir Jafarey were invited to a virtual meeting of the Global Network of WHO Collaborating Centres for Bioethics, the Regional Ethics focal points.
• October 14, 2020 – Dr. Aamir Jafarey attended ‘WHO: Launch of Guidance on Ethics & Vector-borne Diseases and Position Statement on Genetically Modified Mosquitoes’ virtual meeting held at Geneva, Switzerland.
• November 17, 2020 – Dr. Aamir Jafarey attended the WHO EMRO-RERC virtual meeting held at Cairo, Egypt.
• December 2020 – In response to a call from WHO HQ, a report was submitted on “Adapting National Research Review Process during Covid-19: Reviewers’ Perspectives from Pakistan”. This report was published as a paper in EMHJ in July 2021.
• December, 2020 – CBEC-SIUT was invited to assist in the dissemination of WHO’s Ethics & Vector-borne Diseases guidance document, which included conducting three webinars, focusing on EMRO, AFRO and SEARO series, development of a Concept Paper on a film ‘A Tale of Two Worlds’ and translation of the summary of the guideline from English to Urdu. The following three dissemination webinars were organized:
  • December 9, 2020 – “Ethics and Vector-Borne Diseases: WHO Guidance” in collaboration with WHO HQ Geneva and WHO EMRO
  • December 11, 2020 – “Ethics and Vector-Borne Diseases: WHO Guidance” in collaboration with WHO HQ Geneva and WHO regional office for Africa (AFRO)
  • December 17, 2020 – “Ethics and Vector-Borne Diseases: WHO Guidance” in collaboration with WHO HQ Geneva, Western Pacific Regional office of WHO (WPRO), South East Asia Regional office of WHO (SEARO) and Asia-Pacific National Ethics Committee (APNEC)
• December 2020 (ongoing) – Dr. Farhat Moazam is a member of the working group “Developing WHO Best Practices on Integrating Vaccine Introduction and Research”

• January 9-10, 2019 – Dr. Farhat Moazam attended the Fourth Meeting of the WHO Collaborating Centres in the Eastern Mediterranean Region held in Muscat, Oman.
• February 2019 – Dr. Aamir Jafarey represented the Centre in the National Workshop on Collaborating Centres organized by WHO in Islamabad in February 2019. He shared with the other participants the experiences of CBEC as a CC and the process it took to obtain the status of a CC in Bioethics
• June 24-25, 2019 – CBEC-WHO Conference and Workshop – “Ethical Deceased Organ and Tissue Donor Programs and the Role of Transplant Coordinators” was organized at SIUT, Karachi.
• July 23-25, 2019 – Dr. Aamir Jafarey attended the final meeting of the Ethics & Vector-borne Diseases international consultation process held at the WHO HQ, Geneva.
• 2019 – Teaching video “Pushing Boundaries” was produced as a third contribution to the activity.
• 2019 – Teaching video “Between a Rock and a Hard Place” was produced by CBEC as part of this collaboration. This film was screened during the CBEC-WHO Conference and Workshop – ‘Ethical Deceased Organ and Tissue Donor Programs and the Role of Transplant Coordinators’ at CBEC-SIUT, Karachi.

• May 7 to 9, 2018 – Dr. Aamir Jafarey attended the Ethics & Vector-borne Diseases meeting in Vienna, Austria to formulate draft ethical guidelines to guide researchers and public health intervention experts regarding the actions to be taken in efforts to control vectors and the diseases they spread.
• November 1 and 2, 2018 – As a member, Dr. Farhat Moazam attended the first WHO Task Force Meeting on Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues held at Geneva, Switzerland.
• November 11 and 12, 2018 – Dr. Aamir Jafarey attended the EMRO-RERC meeting in Cairo and presented a report on the proceedings of the Ethics of Vector-borne Diseases group.

• October 12 and 13, 2017 – Dr. Farhat Moazam attended a meeting on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, held in Miami, to represent CBEC as a newly designated WHO Collaborating Centre for Bioethics.
• October 22 to 23, 2017 – Dr. Aamir Jafarey attended the newly constituted Research Ethics Review Committee (RERC) of the EMRO held in Cairo. The terms of reference of the newly constituted meetings were finalized and a road map developed for the future working of this committee.
• 2017 – Teaching video “Between Hope and Despair” was produced by CBEC with WHO collaboration.

Clinical Ethics Certificate Course , April 25 to May 3, 2019:

Thirty-five participants from Kenya participated in the two-week certificate course on clinical ethics. The certificate course covered a variety of topics including the concept of informed consent as applicable in different medical situations, privacy and confidentiality, pharma-physician interaction and the related concept of conflict of interest, medical error and negligence and so forth.

The program of the certificate course was again structured in such a way that international faculty was paired with local faculty, in order to enhance local capacity. Several of CBEC’s alumni from Kenya also conducted sessions on their own in this round.

• 
  Participants and Faculty during evaluation of the course.
• 
  CKBTI Faculty with course participants.

Research and Public Health Ethics Certificate Course and Practicum, October-November, 2019

Twenty-eight participants from Kenya, and four participants from Pakistan (32 in total) attended the week long certificate course that focused on Research and Public Health Ethics.

The program of the CC was structured in a way that international faculty enhanced the local capacity, with many of CBEC alumni in Kenya also leading some of the integral sessions.

The course was followed by a four-day long practicum that enabled the participants to view the working of an Ethical Review Committee that handles a large number of proposals.

Pre and post test surveys were conducted before and after the workshop in order to measure the effectiveness of the course, with feedback provided to the course participants on areas of improvement.

• 
  Participants during the Practicum learning the functioning of the Secretariat
• 
  Course participants engaged in a hands-on activity with Dr. Mala Ramanathan

Research Ethics and Public Health Ethics Certificate Course and Practicum, July 2018:

Twenty participants consisting of five Pakistani participants and 15 African participants (from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda) for a week long Certificate Course (CC) in Research Ethics and Public Health Ethics. This was followed by a second week consisting of a Practicum consisting of 10 participants (5 Pakistani participants and 5 Kenyan participants).

The program of the CC was structured to facilitate pairing of guest faculty with local faculty, with the objective of enhancing local capacity.

The practicum in the second week was designed to provide hands on experience for the participants in managing and running a secretariat for a Research Ethics Committee (REC/IRB/ERC).

• 
  Dr. Amar Jesani and his co-instructor Ms. Caroline Kithinji taking a session.
• 
  A CBEC production “Testing Times” being used to discuss issues related to privacy and confidentiality.
• 
  Dr. Asad Raja taking a session on standards of care
• 
  The practicum group at the SERU secretariat for a field visit
• 
  Prof. Walter Jaoko taking a session on Contract Research Organizations
• 
  The Pakistani participants gather on the balcony with some of the faculty to capture the moment in this memorable picture
• 
  Dr. Mala Ramanathan doing the famous “gender walk”
  with the students, driving home the subtleties of
  the impact of gender in access to healthcare

Clinical Ethics Certificate Course, September 2018:

Thiry-one participants from different parts of Africa attended the five-day long certificate course in Clinical Ethics.

The program of the CC consisted of integral topics in Clinical Ethics such as medical error and negligence, privacy and confidentiality and necessity of informed consent. Local faculty was paired with international faculty from different parts of the world in order to build capacity.

• 
  Dr. Bushra Shirazi leading a discussion during the Curriculum Adaptation workshop
• 
  Participants engaged in a role play portraying a Hospital Ethics Consultation

Research Ethics course and Practicum:

Held over the course of one week, this certificate course trained 27 participants (23 Kenyan and 5 Pakistani scholars) in research ethics. The Pakistani students along with 5 Kenyan students were additionally provided Practicum training at the KEMRI Scientific and Ethics Review unit (SERU), to understand the workings of a REC secretariat.

• 
  Dr. Amar Jesani engaging with course participants
• 
  Dr. Asad Jamil Raja during his talk on research ethics
• 
  Learning the works of a REC secretariat

Clinical Ethics/Public Health course:

This certificate course trained 25 Kenyan scholars in the domain of clinical and public health ethics, giving them a flavor of various ethical dilemmas encountered, utilizing a variety of teaching tools including local CBEC visual productions.

• 
  Dr. Moazam engaging the students during an interactive discussion
• 
  Dr. Stephen Ombok Muhudhia during his talk

During the certificate courses, scholars from Pakistan, Kenya and Tanzania had an opportunity to attend the 2nd Bioethics Society of Kenya (BSK) conference. The Pakistani scholars who are alumni from CBEC-SIUT, presented their papers at the conference, and had an opportunity to interacted with international academics and researchers at the conference.

• 
  Dr. Abeer Salim presenting a paper at the conference
• 
  Dr. Nazli Hossain presenting a paper at the conference

Curriculum Adaptation:

A daylong meeting of the Curriculum Adaptation Committee was held at KEMRI to discuss the mechanisms of adapting the CBEC curriculum to suit the Kenyan requirements. Subcommittees were selected and mandated to develop a framework for the various courses to be offered through CK-BTI over the years.

Advisory Board:

The first advisory board meeting was held in 2017. During this meeting, Professor Walta Jaoko was elected the chair of the board for tenure of 2.5 years.

The MBE is a blended program which includes both on-campus in-person teaching together with coursework in away periods. Teaching faculty includes both national and international scholars.

The four semesters of the MBE program are spread over two years. The first year of the MBE program involves coursework completed over four on-campus modules. The duration of the first three modules is 2 weeks each (6 days a week) while the last module is generally shorter. The second year is dedicated to the completion of research for thesis under supervision of assigned CBEC faculty.

Required Coursework

Coursework during the two years involves several components. The on-campus component consists of four modules that encompass interactive discussions, seminars dedicated to in-depth discussions of specific ethical topics, ‘pedagogy’ sessions in which the MBEs teach students enrolled in Postgraduate Diploma in Biomedical Ethics program. End of module tests and quizzes are used to assess comprehension of the subject matter taught during each module.

Students are required to submit full length papers connected to all major courses. They also conduct “Directed Research” which involves review and critique of assigned books.

I.      On-Campus

Adult learning methodologies are employed in all four modules, with an emphasis on discussion rather than didactic lectures. In addition to tools such as small group work and role play, movies and examples from art and literature are also included to highlight and discuss various ethical themes.

Students are expected to be punctual, maintain full attendance and participate actively in class discussions.

• Foundations Module

It introduces students to the different epistemological sources of moral traditions. This includes examining the evolution of moral thought from Greeks to the modern times, and the basics of moral traditions in different religions including Islam. Students are encouraged to analyze the similarities and differences between these traditions and to provide constructive critique of each. Sessions also cover the evolution of contemporary bioethics in the 20^th century, a result of the explosive growth in biomedical science and technology, and the ethical challenges specific to this situation in low and middle income countries. Sessions are dedicated to historical interactions between ethics and law using paradigm legal cases. Sessions are also devoted to recognizing the importance of humanities (art and literature) in informing and shaping indigenous values in a society.

• Clinical Ethics Module

The second module focuses on introducing students to the dominant Western paradigm of Principlism and its critique within different sociocultural contexts. Students are also familiarized with the importance of virtues in guiding physician-patient interaction, and the concept of microethics which focuses on daily interactions between patients, families and physicians in clinical practice. Emphasis is also placed on real-life Pakistani case scenarios and discussions which are employed to help familiarize students with ethical questions related to reproduction, genetics, end of life issues, medical error and negligence, organ donation, modern healthcare and practice among others. Students are encouraged to bring their cases for discussions in which they have personally faced moral discomfort. Workshops focusing on the basics of hospital ethics consultative services and communication skills also form a core component.

• Research and Public Health Module

The third module is devoted to ethical issues involving human subject research and public health. Students are introduced to the historical incidents in human experimentation and research such as Nuremberg Trials and the Tuskegee Syphilis Study that led to the development of research ethics as a formal field. Research scandals from the LMIC context are also taught including the HPV vaccine trials in India. Specific challenges of conducting ethical research within LMICs are also discussed. Sessions are devoted to the functions of Institutional Review Boards/ Ethics Review Committees, and issues of conflicts of interest including those during interactions with the pharmaceutical industry. An important component of this module also includes distinguishing between public health research and public health surveillance, and the ethical values in conflict when designing and implementing public health measures especially within the context of epidemics and pandemics.

• Gender Ethics Module

The fourth and last module introduces students to the evolution of feminist movements in the West. Sessions are used to highlight movements for rights of women within Pakistan. Class discussions are also devoted to issues of gender equality within the family and the influence of Muslim fiqh in this area. An integral component of the teaching is to understand the concepts of ‘sex’ versus ‘gender’ and how the biological components interact with social constructs in forming identity of individuals. This includes an understanding of issues related to transgender individuals. Sessions also highlight the role of stereotyping in media in defining gender roles.

II.   Away Period Coursework

During this, MBE students are required to submit a minimum of nine mandatory full-length assignments (1200-1500 words) connected to major courses which are graded by faculty. These assignments require in-depth research, analyses and critical review of readings covered during the modules and additional relevant material.

Under ‘Directed Research,’ students are assigned relevant academic and/or literary books to review. The aim is to encourage wider reading habits, promote critical analysis of authors’ ideas and positions, and enhance writing abilities.

MBE students also participate in the faculty moderated CBEC “Bioethics Blog” through postings, comments and participation in discussions with the PGD students.

MBE Thesis

The second year of the MBE program is devoted to completing research and writing a thesis of 15,000 to 18,000 words. Students are provided with faculty supervisors to guide their research and thesis writing. Research conducted must be original in nature involving quantitative or qualitative methodology or using mixed methods. Students are encouraged to pursue topics relevant to issues in Pakistan. Comprehensive literature review and analysis of a suitable, ethics-related topic are also acceptable for the thesis.

The final thesis is submitted for review by the external Thesis Review Committee (TRC) consisting of relevant national and international scholars. If the external TRC finds that the submission does not meet required standards, the student will be required to make necessary changes and resubmit the thesis. If the resubmitted thesis is still found to be below standards, the student will not receive the MBE degree.

However, if she/he has satisfactorily completed and passed all required MBE coursework during the first year, CBEC faculty may recommend to the Department of Medical Education, SIMS that the student be conferred a Postgraduate Diploma in Biomedical Ethics instead.

Assessment Strategies

Continuous assessment which includes full attendance, active class participation, satisfactory performance in “Pedagogy” sessions, Seminars and course related written assignments in the away period. Other modalities include end of module tests that include Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) and Short Essay Questions (SEQs), and quizzes.

Completion of MBE Thesis and achieving a “Pass” grade as judged by external TRC.

Retention Criteria

1. MBE students are required to maintain an average of at least a C Plus grade (65%) in the first four graded assignments to continue in the program. Those unable to do so, despite faculty assistance and counselling, may be dropped from the program.
2. MBE students who maintain an average of C Plus grade (65%) through their coursework year but have 3 failures in graded activities may be dropped from the program.
3. Students are expected to be present during all days of every module. Per existing policy, absence for any reason may result in being dropped from the program.

Graduation Criteria

In order to be awarded an MBE degree, students must:

1. Maintain an average of at least C plus grade (65%) throughout the program.
2. Complete all mandatory written assignments satisfactorily.
3. Obtain a pass in the MBE thesis.

The MBE is designed for mid-career professionals, from Pakistan and abroad, holding at least an undergraduate degree (equivalent to Bachelor of Arts/Science, etc.) We target individuals working within primary fields such as healthcare delivery, social sciences, philosophy, law, education, etc. who wish to incorporate aspects of bioethics relevant to their disciplines.

Preference will be given to those who have at least five years of work experience in the primary field following the basic qualification. CBEC programs are inclusive, open to individuals of all genders, ages, religions, and ethnicities without discrimination.

Applicants must have good reading, comprehension, and writing skills in English in order to handle coursework which includes extensive readings and written assignments. In addition, it is essential that applicants possess basic competency in computer skills including the use of email, MS Office programs, web-based searches, video conferencing and social media applications.

Students must have availability of broadband internet in order to complete coursework assignments in the away periods between modules.

Application Process

Application process is online through the CBEC website. MBE applicants must complete all sections of the application form and submit it along with all required documents listed below no later than the given deadline. Late and / or incomplete applications will not be processed.

In addition to the online submission, the application form along with the supporting documents will also need to be emailed to cbec.admission@siut.edu.pk and cbec@siut.org in a single email, as attachments.

All applications are reviewed and assessed by the Admission and Selection Committee (ASC) constituted of CBEC faculty and external members. Those applying for the MBE but judged to be better suited for the one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Biomedical Ethics (PGD) program are offered a shift to the PGD application process. However, this does not guarantee admission into the program.

Applicants who are shortlisted for the MBE program will be invited to appear in an “English Language Comprehension and Writing Skills Test.” Candidates who display required level of proficiency in English are invited for interviews. Interviews are conducted by members of ASC and take place in Karachi and other cities in Pakistan. At the discretion of the ASC, interviews may be conducted online using video-conferencing.

ASC decisions are considered final. However, those who wish to appeal can approach the Chairperson of CBEC.

Documents Required

1. Completed Application Form
2. Brief curriculum vitae
3. Essay: A 700-750-word essay in the applicant’s own words, describing an event or encounter that has had a major or lasting impact on his/her life. The essay should be a MS Word document using Times New Roman script, with font size 12 and double line spacing. The essay document should be saved with the applicants’ surname, e.g. malik.doc before uploading and emailing as an attachment. Note: The essay will be screened for plagiarism and AI-generated content.
4. Scanned copies of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Note: If selected in the program, all original documents must be presented to the Department of Medical Education at Sindh Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS) for verification.
5. For applicants who are full-time employees, a scanned letter of permission from the relevant institutional head on a letterhead. This letter should state that he/she has institutional approval for attendance in all four modules at CBEC and completion of coursework during the away period.
6. Two samples of applicant’s written material such as articles, reports, projects etc. Preference will be given to academic publications in national or international journals. Provide hyperlinks to published articles accessible online or upload and email copies.
7. Scan of one recent photograph.
8. Two letters of recommendation addressed to Dr. Farhat Moazam, Chairperson, CBEC, SIUT. These should be emailed directly and in confidence to her by the referees to the following email addresses: famoz@mindspring.com & famoz2008@gmail.com. The letters should be from individuals in responsible positions who know the applicant and believe that he/she is suitable for pursuing formal education in bioethics. The referee should be willing to have a phone conversation with Dr. Moazam if required.

Enrolment in a Concurrent Program

Applications from individuals already enrolled in a program that overlaps with MBE will not be entertained.

Students enrolled in the MBE are not permitted to enroll in a concurrent program until they have completed all requirements of the MBE program.

Tuition

CBEC-SIUT does not charge any tuition fee from students selected into the Master’s in Bioethics (MBE) program. All reading material for courses is shared on Google docs and provided free of cost. Lunch, tea, and snacks are also provided free during the on-campus modules.

Accommodation

Subject to availability, free accommodation (without meals) may be offered at the SIUT residential apartments for out-of-town candidates on a twin sharing basis. The apartments provide free Wi-Fi for use by students.

Transport

Complementary daily transportation between the SIUT apartments and CBEC is provided for the duration of the modules in Karachi. Travel to and from Karachi for out-of-town students will be their own responsibility. CBEC-SIUT will however provide airport pick and drop services for non-Pakistani students to facilitate their arrival and departure. Pakistani students will be responsible for their transport arrangements to and from the Karachi airport. Several reliable radio cab services at the airport are easily available and can be utilized.

Facilities at CBEC

All four modules take place in CBEC in Karachi in a facilitative learning environment. CBEC is located on the 7th Floor of the Suleman Dawood Transplant Tower, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) on Yaqub Khan Road. Adequate workspaces, computers, internet access, a library and photocopying facilities are available on campus.

• Relevant individuals, serving on ethics committees, or potential members of such committees who are deemed to be suitable for the CC are nominated by our alumni. The selection is based on their current involvement with bioethics, as well as their CV. There is no test or interview for inclusion in the CC.
• CC students are not graded and there are no assignments or exams. However, they are expected to observe punctuality, full attendance and to participate in class discussions to be awarded the Certificate of Participation.
• The CC participants are expected to read the materials shared with them prior to the course. They are expected to maintain a 100% attendance throughout the course which can last up to 2 weeks, from 8 am to 6 pm. There are no take-home assignments for the CC participants during the course in order to keep the workload on them to the minimum. There is therefore minimal disruption of the normal schedule for the participants, other than mandatory attendance during the course.

• CBEC-SIUT waives tuition fee of all students selected into the CC program and provides all reading material for courses electronically, at no cost. Lunch, tea, and snacks are also provided free during the modules held in Karachi.
• Subject to availability, free accommodation (without meals) may be offered at the SIUT residential apartments for out-of-town candidates on a twin sharing basis. The apartments provide free Wi-Fi for use by students.
• Complementary daily transportation between the SIUT apartments and CBEC is provided for the duration of the modules in Karachi. Travel to and from Karachi for out-of-town students will be their own responsibility. CBEC-SIUT will however provide airport pick and drop services for non-Pakistani students to facilitate their arrival and departure. Pakistani students will be responsible for their transport arrangements to and from the Karachi airport. Several reliable radio cab services at the airport are easily available and can be utilized.
• All teaching takes place in CBEC in Karachi in a facilitative learning environment. CBEC is located on the 7th Floor of the Suleman Dawood Transplant Tower, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) on Yaqub Khan Road. Adequate workspaces, computers, internet access, a library and photocopying facilities are available on site.

For more information, please contact us at cbec.siut@gmail.com