The Director General of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Irina Bokova appointed yesterday Saudi female researcher, Hayat Sindi, as Goodwill Ambassador to support science education, especially among girls.
Sindi’s nomination comes “in recognition of her work to create an ecosystem of entrepreneurship and social innovation for scientists, technologists and engineers in the Middle East and beyond, her efforts to bring the youth closer to innovators and her dedication to the ideals and aims of the organization,” the Paris-based UNESCO said in a news release.
Born in 1967 in Makkah, Sindi has made major contributions to point-of-care diagnostics, medical testing at or near the site of patient care, specifically designed for the vast number of people who do not have access to hospitals and medical facilities.
She made this contribution through the invention of a biochemical sensor with thermo-elastic probes and her development of the Magnetic Acoustic Resonance Sensor (MARS), UNESCO said.
As a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Sindi will join the ranks of outstanding celebrity advocates who spread the ideals of UNESCO through their name and fame. They extend and amplify UNESCO’s work and mission and generously use their talent and status to help focus the world’s attention on UNESCO’s work. Some of these ambassadors include Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nelson Mandela of South Africa, United States jazz musician Herbie Hancock, Cuban ballerina and choreographer Alicia Alonso, and Dubai-based philanthropist, educator and entrepreneur Sunny Varkey.
