Shaheer Salman | Kelliher Kupe Leadership Scholar

Bachelor of Commerce (Honours)
"By the year 2050 the world population is expected to reach almost 10 billion people. The order in which the international community sets priorities in this decade will set the precedent for how major global issues will unfold over the remainder of the 21st century. The way in which we respond to problems like climate change, migrant crises, inequality, ethno-religious and transnational conflict, and the scourge of identity politics will inevitably have spillover effects for international security and prosperity.
If we are to tackle such issues, an honest, sincere, and pragmatic effort is necessary- specifically one that focuses on capacity building initiatives like poverty alleviation and the empowerment of young girls and women in developing countries. I hope to utilise my knowledge of the social sciences to make a tangible contribution to international development. It is my life's ambition to be a part of the myriad of forces which seek to elevate the social and material conditions of the world's poor."
Sponsor: Kelliher Economics Foundation
Mentor: Sir Peter David Gluckman ONZ KNZM FRS FMedSci FRSNZ, a New Zealand scientist. Originally trained as a paediatrician, he served as the inaugural Chief Science Advisor to the New Zealand Prime Minister from 2009 to 2018. He is a founding member and was inaugural chair of the International Network for Government Science Advice, and is president of the International Science Council. He holds a Distinguished University Professorship at the Liggins Institute of the University of Auckland and has published over 700 scientific papers in perinatal and developmental physiology, neuroscience and endocrinology, evolutionary biology and medicine. He has authored both technical and popular science books. He chaired the WHO Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity (2014-2017). In 2016 he received the AAAS award in Science Diplomacy. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of London and the Royal Society of New Zealand, a member of the National Academy of Medicine (USA) and a fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (UK).