Hassun El-Zafar is the Chief Executive Officer of Edinburgh Science, leading one of the UK’s most influential science engagement organisations and managing its various local and international outreach programs. In 2024, he was recognised by Innovate UK for “his work on democratising access to museums and knowledge.” He carries a unique blend of creative leadership and community-centred vision. He has also developed several storytelling projects, including an installation called HEAR and a virtual reality experience, Mirpur: The Atlantis of Kashmir.
We caught up with him before the Lahore Science Mela (LSM) to chat about his work and the landscape of science communication.
Maham: I’ll jump straight in. Your profile is fascinating, and we’ve seen the incredible work you’re doing in the UK with Edinburgh Science. Could you take us back to the beginning, like how this journey started for you?
Hassun: Well, Jazak Allah for having me. It’s great to talk to you, and I’m grateful to the LSM for inviting me. Alhamdulillah, my career traces back to my lifelong connection to science, whether through school, university, or what eventually became my main profession as a science teacher.
I studied science education at university, and even now, when I go home, people still know me as a science teacher. But I always wanted to explore beyond the classroom, which led me to informal science learning spaces, and ultimately to my role as Director of Edinburgh Science Foundation. Whilst I was doing my master’s, I applied for a job as a science communicator at the Abu Dhabi Science Festival, delivered by Edinburgh Science.
And therefore, that would have been a key moment and reason why I knew of Edinburgh Science to begin with. I was also blessed with wonderful science teachers who didn’t reduce science to facts and formulas but made it a creative endeavour. That shaped how I see science today. And I’ve been fortunate to have supportive friends and colleagues who pushed me to realise my potential. May Allah grant all of us such company that helps us grow and achieve work we feel is worthwhile.
Maham: What is your broader vision for Edinburgh Science? And in a landscape filled with volatility, misinformation, and declining trust, how do you see the science festival helping people connect with scientific knowledge?
Hassun: Yeah, it’s so important to be able to understand what your impact is going to be and what you want it to be, to be able to evaluate and assess it. We’re living in a time when people consume more information than ever, and truthful, transparent science communication is so imperative.
At Edinburgh Science, we approach this in many ways. We organise a science festival, not just in Edinburgh, but across the world. The Edinburgh Science Festival is the oldest, since 1989.
We deliver talks, cultural programmes, and, importantly, early-years interventions with children and families. Research shows that waiting until university is too late; perceptions of science form very young. So we try to get in as early as possible to build a positive perception of how inquiry knowledge should be, and a positive perception of why we should always go for critical thinking and honest information. I don’t know how we’re going to balance the world that’s coming between us, but in many ways, many of the challenges we face are not new; rather, they’re generational challenges.
There’s always been misinformation. There’s always been a place where science has to play a key role in the future to come, in the present day. The question is how we continue that work using today’s technologies. It might feel daunting, but everything seems impossible until it’s done.
Maham: You also mentioned that the organisation runs programmes outside the UK. Could you tell us more about the kinds of initiatives you’re currently leading internationally, and how they’re engaging audiences beyond the UK and Europe? These areas have a relatively established science communication landscape, but that’s not always the case in local regions.
Hassun: I see three key areas. First, I’m involved in a lot of international engagement, and the Science Mela is one example of how we share our practice and expertise globally. Second, we’ve delivered creative science festivals for organisations worldwide, such as the Abu Dhabi Science Festival. That festival drew not only local schools but also a very diverse expat community.
We also delivered a science festival in Los Angeles with the Getty Foundation at the Libertas. It’s far from this region, but the number of Hispanic and Latino families there, often overlooked, made it an important project. There is still much more to be done.
And absolutely, that is one of the things that we’re doing out here is kind of really getting a sense of how other science festivals are operating across the world. And how we, as one of the leading science festivals worldwide, have a role to play in achieving our charitable purpose by supporting these festivals in whichever means they find most valuable.
Maham: On a more personal note, what has been the most challenging yet rewarding project you’ve worked on, and how did it shape your journey in science communication, and what did it teach you about leadership?
Hassun: Every project has its challenges, but I’ll mention the play I created, “There Is No Planet B.” I had directed a play before, but I didn’t go to drama school. I felt something needed to be said, and I wanted to push myself.
What I learned about leadership was, first, the importance of building a team. You don’t need to be an expert in everything. In theatre, you bring in a sound designer, a producer, and actors; they take your vision and elevate it. Second, trust your team to deliver your vision. And then the third thing, I guess, is creating the best environment they need to do their best work. Your job as a leader is to understand what helps them succeed and make that possible.
So challenge yourself, always be bold and ambitious. We need those kinds of people in the world right now to build high-performing teams; you do that through trust, and also by creating an environment that allows them to flourish.
In the case of No Planet B, it was bringing in the producer, the actors, and giving them the scripts, and then letting them really run with it. With theatre, it’s remarkable because you can see something which was an idea, to them being on stage, to someone giving you feedback and saying it was the most amazing piece of theatre they’ve ever seen.
And there’s a connection here to science communication. At its core, good science communication is storytelling—something humans have always done and must continue to do.
Maham: Events like the LSM offer young people in Pakistan a rare chance to experience science beyond textbooks. What message would you like to share with the youth about nurturing curiosity?
Hassun: Science is not necessarily something you have to do at a certain time or place, or even something someone has to give you a title for. If you’re curious about the universe and want to understand the world around you, you’re already engaging in science. It isn’t just the collection of facts and figures.
The second thing is that it is a wonderfully diverse area, you have scientists who wear lab coats in labs, scientists who are climbing mountains, going to space, and to the deepest trenches of the ocean. Some that work with insects, others with atoms. Some read all day, others hardly at all—though maybe they should. The point is, there’s a vast world to explore.
I would also say that we are entering an era where the world needs ideas. We are trying to solve several problems worldwide, including climate change, food security, education gaps, water and sanitation, glacier melt, housing, and economic development.
You will find that research and science already present robust solutions to these problems. We do not only need scientists, but also builders of ideas that transform society. Science meets purpose when you use the talent God has given you to make the world better. For me, having a compass matters. It could be a spiritual compass, such as Islam provides. And why do we do things to make the world a better place? Because it’s something that is innately your responsibility as a Muslim.
Doing science for its own sake is fine, but doing it to create positive change is far more meaningful. And big change doesn’t always happen from big actions. It happens from people just doing the ordinary day-to-day actions. Doing science, informing public opinion, and transforming the ways that we can address very real problems in society is an art to which all of us need to play an active role.
And I would say, because most of your audience is from places like Pakistan, the time when others dictate how you should solve your problems should come to an end. You should feel empowered as you have the opportunity, talent, and autonomy to solve the issues you face. You can’t solve the problems you’re facing—or the world’s—using the same thinking that created them.
And we can’t solve them with people who have never lived experience of what those problems are like day to day. So use that to your advantage. We call it the unfair advantage in the startup world. Use that, relish it, and go out there and be the change that you want to see in the world because the world needs it more than ever.
More from the author: Exploring the Overlapping Realities of Climate Change and Infectious Disease Spread with Dr Quaid Saeed
Maham Maqsood is a science communicator and co-founder at Scientia Pakistan. She is currently doing Masters in Biochemistry at the Middle East Technical University, Turkey. She has over five years of experience in science communication and outreach, collaborating with researchers, educators, and communicators to develop effective strategies and content for various platforms and events.
