“Open access is like a window of knowledge”

For universal issues like plastic pollution, open access is vital to help scientists replicate research, says Prof Gawsia W Chowdhury of Bangladesh

Prof Gawsia Wahidunessa Chowdhury, PhD, identifies microplastics from sediment samples using a phase-contrast microscope.

A lifelong desire to improve the world has led Prof Gawsia Wahidunessa Chowdhury to embrace open access and its ability to extend the reach of her research.

Gawsia has nearly 15 years of experience in conservation education, biomonitoring and wetland ecology in Bangladesh. As a professor and researcher in the Department of Zoology at the University of Dhaka, she says she is delighted with the possibilities of the role:

My dream has always been to make myself useful for the benefit of people and planet Earth. Teaching and doing research are both dreams come true for me. 

Gawsia is committed to helping conserve the aquatic systems and threatened species of Bangladesh. She is a published author on these topics and has received many awards and grants, including a Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Conservation Education Fellowship. Through her work, Gawsia collaborates with governments, NGOs and international organizations. She holds positions with various conservation and zoological groups, including being a board member of WildTeam, a member of the Zoological Society of Bangladesh and regional co-chair of the South Asian Invertebrate Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Gawsia actually began her career as a volunteer for WildTeam (then known as the Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh), which pioneers novel, science-based conservation approaches in the Sundarbans linked to wetland conservation, human-wildlife conflict, species conservation and capacity building. The NGO now provides a platform for Gawsia to use her knowledge and skills to inspire more young conservationists.

Read the full article on Elsevier Connect: “Open access is like a window of knowledge”, Milly Sell, 8 June 2022.