Walter Erdelen, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, UNESCO, Paris
It is with great sadness that we learnt about the demise of our former colleague Dr Edgar DaSilva. His death is a significant loss to the scientific community, particularly in the inter-governmental context, to which he has contributed immensely for over 4 decades.
Dr DaSilva joined UNESCO in 1974 and was quickly noticed for his diligence and enthusiasm. His foresight and perception of science in the global context allowed him to be proactive in identifying scientific priorities and developing new and appropriate thrusts for UNESCO’s programme actions.
He was instrumental in the planning and implementation of several UNESCO regional and international programmes in applied microbiology and biotechnology as well as in the development of the global networks dealing with the management and use of microbial resources and training opportunities in the fields of marine and plant biotechnology. He was a co-founder of the Microbiological Resource Centers (MIRCEN) all around the world and played a major role in the establishment of the Biotechnology Action Council (BAC). Through these two programmes he made a considerable contribution to the development of biotechnology research and training worldwide; this is evident from the recognition of his work at the regional level as well as in the international arena. He had a knack for developing strong links with international programmes for co-ordinated action on topics of common interest. He was a strong supporter of the International Organization of Biotechnology and Bioengineering (IOBB), built strong links with the World Federation for Culture Collections (WFCC), played an important role in the conferences on the ‘Global Impact of Applied Microbiology’ (GIAM), among many others. In addition he mobilized several extra budgetary programmes in close cooperation with UNEP and UNDP and donor Member States for activities in national development in biotechnology and regional cooperation in microbiology.
During his time with UNESCO, and I dare say before and after as well, he honed his passion for teaching and knowledge transfer in his own area of specialization of microbiology and also in biotechnology. He worked tirelessly to develop training initiatives and set up fellowship and professorship programmes to stimulate scientific exchange. He was a strong proponent of international scientific collaboration as a means to promote development and provide developing countries with the tools to drive their own scientific research.
Many of his colleagues will remember Edgar DaSilva as a diligent professional in the service of UNESCO’s Member States, particularly the developing countries. He was hardest on himself, demanding a rigorous and efficient approach to work.
More recently he was co-editor of the theme “Biotechnology” for the UNESCO-sponsored Encyclopedia for Life Support Systems [EOLSS].
He will always be remembered by his colleagues and the scientific community for his competence, dynamism and dedication to capacity building in the life sciences and biology education in developing countries.
Our sincere condolences go to his family and close friends.
