When I joined the Global Young Academy in 2022, I knew I was stepping into a network of excellence; but I couldn’t have anticipated how profoundly it would shape the trajectory of my career. My first Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Rwanda was not just a professional milestone; it was a personal awakening. Witnessing the transformative development underway in Africa, especially in science and infrastructure, gave me a renewed sense of purpose.
That visit sparked something greater. Within a year, I returned to the region—this time as a subject-matter expert at the EAC Regional Centre of Excellence for Vaccines and Immunization. There, I co-developed a Master’s curriculum in Vaccinology, contributing directly to the region’s scientific capacity building. Soon after, I was invited to join the Governing Board of FIRAT Africa, helping steer its strategic direction to promote scientific excellence. None of this would have happened without the GYA.
The power of the GYA lies in its ability to build bridges. During one of our internal discussions, I connected with fellow members who introduced me to opportunities in China. This led to my participation in a science diplomacy conference in Xinjiang, where I met Professor Wen-Jun Li. In less than six months, we co-designed a proposal that won me the prestigious CAS-PIFI Fellowship. It was a moment of validation not just for me, but for the model of collaborative, cross-border research that the GYA champions.
But GYA’s impact wasn’t limited to research and travel. It gave me a rare democratic space where young scientists are not only included but trusted. In many other platforms, I’ve encountered resistance to youth participation in policy. At the GYA, I was empowered. I helped organize the Washington, D.C. AGM 2024, moderated lightning talks, and served on the Executive Committee, all of which resonate to the diversity, equity and inclusion not simply as a checked box, but in reality. As an EC member, I worked with global peers to restructure working groups and represent the GYA at international gatherings.
Motivated by the GYA model, I co-founded the Pakistan Young Academy to support early-career researchers and champion Women in STEM in my country. The GYA also nominated me to the InterAcademy Partnership Biosecurity Working Group—placing me at the intersection of science and policy at a global level. The ripple effects have been extraordinary. I was honored as an NGL-50 delegate at the Spirit of Asilomar Summit, selected as a Fulbright Scholar, and invited to global dialogues on science and health policy. These doors didn’t just open for me—they opened for my students, my institution, and future generations I now mentor.
Whether in my work with the IAP or the NTI, in STEM education or science diplomacy, the GYA has been both a compass and a catalyst. It has amplified my voice, connected me with changemakers around the world, and shown me that real impact starts with empowered communities.
The GYA is more than an academy. It is a family. A family that listens, nurtures, and believes in the potential of young scientists to make the world better.
I am just one of many stories—and I hope there will be thousands more.