Sabrina Dawood is a Pakistani philanthropist and educational activist. She serves as vice-chair of the Board of Trustees of The Dawood Foundation (TDF), a registered charitable organisation established in 1960 by the Dawood family to support community development through education.[1][2] Her work has focused on building interactive and inclusive learning spaces, integrating environmental topics into formal education, and supporting science literacy in Pakistan.[3]
Sabrina Dawood | |
|---|---|
| سبرینہ داؤد | |
 | |
| Born | Lahore, Pakistan |
| Alma mater | London School of Economics University College London |
| Occupations | Vice-Chair, The Dawood Foundation |
| Known for | MagnifiScience Centre |
| Parent(s) | Hussain Dawood Kulsum Dawood |
| Relatives | Shahzada Dawood, Abdul Samad Dawood (brothers) |
Early life and education
editDawood was born and raised in Lahore, Pakistan.[4] She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and Law from the London School of Economics and a Master of Science degree in Medical Anthropology from University College London.[1] She has three siblings: Azmeh, Samad, and Shahzada.[5]
Career
editThe Dawood Foundation
editDawood serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Dawood Foundation, a philanthropic organisation and registered as a not-for-profit organisation.[1] The Foundation was established in 1960 as the principal philanthropic vehicle of the Dawood Group.[1] Under her leadership, the Foundation has developed several educational and cultural programmes in Karachi.
She has overseen Dawood Public School (DPS), founded in 1983, which provides primary and secondary education to girls in Karachi and serves more than 2,500 students.[1]
MagnifiScience
editDawood initiated the MagnifiScience programme under TDF, beginning with science exhibitions held in 2016 and 2017 at DPS.[6][7] A MagnifiScience Children's Studio opened in Karachi in October 2018.[8]
The MagnifiScience Centre opened in September 2021 in the Railway Quarters of Saddar, Karachi, as the first interactive science centre of its kind in Pakistan.[9][10] Since its opening, the centre has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors.[1] Ninety-five percent of the centre's more than 400 exhibits are designed and built in-house using local materials, engineers, educators and craftspeople.[3]
TDF Ghar
editDawood led the development of TDF Ghar, a heritage-based learning space and museum that opened in 2017. The building is a restored 1930s home formerly belonging to Hajiani Hanifa Bai, the mother of Dawood Group founder Ahmed Dawood, situated on Muhammad Ali Jinnah Road, Karachi. The project was conceived as a space for youth engagement that preserves the cultural heritage of Karachi.[1][11][12]
Board positions and other roles
editDawood serves as a director on the boards of Engro Corporation, Dawood Hercules Corporation Limited, Dawood Lawrencepur Limited, Cyan Limited, the Hajiani Hanifabai Memorial Society, and the Karachi Education Initiative.[1] She is a Trustee of Engro Foundation, the philanthropic vehicle of Engro Corporation.[1] She is a member of the Board of Governors of the National Management Foundation of Lahore University of Management Sciences and a member of the board of WWF Pakistan.[13] She also serves as an adviser to Kainaat Studios.[13]
Dawood chairs the Hussain Dawood Pledge, a philanthropic initiative comprising corporate contributions for COVID-19 relief and mitigation across multiple organisations.[14] She has advocated for the integration of environmental topics and climate change into formal education in Pakistan.[4][15]
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Sabrina Dawood". dawoodfoundation.org. The Dawood Foundation. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ "Who We Are". hussaindawoodpledge.com. Hussain Dawood Pledge. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- 1 2 Dawood, Sabrina; Sprung, Christoph S. (8 January 2026). "How informal science spaces unlock learning for excluded children". weforum.org. World Economic Forum. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- 1 2 Kazim, Syeda Shehrbano (30 October 2015). "Living Colours: Pakistan's ecosystem is extremely fragile". dawn.com. Dawn. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ "The other side: Dawood Group's arm to promote natural habitat | The Express Tribune". tribune.com.pk. The Express Tribune. 8 September 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
- ↑ "Promoting critical thinking". thenews.com.pk. The News International. October 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ "The Dawood Foundation announces 2nd Magnifi-Science Exhibition". newsupdatetimes.com. News Update Times. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ "TDF's first MagnifiScience Children's Studio opens in Karachi". brecorder.com. Business Recorder. 1 October 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ Azam, Oonib (15 October 2021). "A praiseworthy endeavour to foster children's interest in science". thenews.com.pk. The News International. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ "Popularising Science through Informal Learning Spaces". ted.com. TED Conferences. 3 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ Kazi, Mudaser (24 August 2017). "TDF Ghar offers Karachiites a unique place to socialise". tribune.com.pk. The Express Tribune. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ Jabeen, Yusra (23 August 2017). "A 100-year-old house finds new life as a cultural hotspot in Karachi". images.dawn.com. Dawn. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Sabrina Dawood". engro.com. Engro Holdings. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ Abidi, Mubahila (19 July 2022). "The Dawood Foundation and Allied Bank Partner to Establish High Dependency Unit at the Indus Hospital for COVID-19 Patients". indushospital.org.pk. Indus Hospital and Health Network. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
- ↑ "How to save the earth: Speakers tell audience to start battling climate change now". tribune.com.pk. The Express Tribune. 28 November 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2026.