Syeda Zinia Rashid, PhD

Program management professional with history of driving projects to successful completion. Known for fostering team collaboration and delivering results in dynamic environments. Proven expertise in risk management and resource allocation. Successfully led cross-functional teams to deliver complex projects and programmes on time and within scope. Demonstrated leadership and strategic planning skills. Hardworker with problem-solving skills known for adaptability and committed to making meaningful contributions.

Certification: I, the undersigned, certify that to the best of my knowledge and belief, this CV correctly describes my qualifications, my experience and myself. Signature: SYEDA ZINIA RASHID, 2026

1) Webinar presenter, 2025

BEAM Exchange Platform - ‘Anchoring the systemic development of the chars – lessons from the Market for Chars project in Bangladesh’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXdd7fkYDCg)

2) SDC Global Workshop Presenter, 2023 - 'Bangladesh Experience on Disaster Risk Reduction’

3) Publication, SDC Brief, 2022 - SDC Global Water Platform ResEàu Brief no. 3

‘Developing Sustainable Rural Markets for Resilient Sanitation: Lessons from Bangladesh’

4) Keynote speaker, 2022 - The 1st International Cooperation Forum (IC Forum), Geneva, Switzerland

Session-6, ‘Towards a Greener Cooperation’

5) Publication, SDC Newsletter, 2020

SDC Financial Service Development Network (e+i) - ‘Surokkha' - a milestone for promoting financial services through the weather insurance market, to farmers in Bangladesh

6) Publication, SDC Newsletter, 2020 - SDC Agriculture and Food Security (A+FS) Network

An effective approach to food security in an extremely vulnerable context: ‘Market for Chars (M4C)' Bangladesh

7) Co-contribution, SDC Newsletter, 2019 - Climate Change and Environment Network, Vol 32.

Sharing experience and takeaways from Training of Facilitators (on disaster risk reduction and integration guidance, CEDRIG), Lusaka, Zambia

8) Webinar presenter, 2019 - BEAM Exchange Platform

‘Reducing vulnerability for the extreme poor in Bangladesh's Chars: M4C's experience of applying market systems'

9) Publication, SDC Shareweb, 2018 - ‘SanMarkS – system-based approach in rural sanitation sector of Bangladesh'

· Panelist, Government of Bangladesh, 2017

Rural Development and Cooperatives Division

Stakeholders Consultation workshop for Char Development and Research Centre

· Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) Head Quarter in Bern, Switzerland

· Swiss NGOs and their Head Offices in Switzerland

· SDC Regional Thematic Office in Thailand (Agriculture and Food Security; and Disaster Risk Reduction),

· SDC Myanmar(Humanitarian; Climate and Environment);

· SDC Pakistan(Procurement),

· SDC Kenya(Agriculture Microinsurance)

· SDC Tanzania(Agriculture Microinsurance)

· SDC Zambia(Climate and Environment)

· SDC Armenia (Pipeline task – Peer review of Agriculture Market Development project-SIGMA in Armenia)

i) ‘President Gold Medal', Government of Bangladesh, 2003

ii)  ‘Monbukagakusho Research Scholarship', Government of Japan, 2003 - 2009.

iii) ‘Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship', Government of Malaysia University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 2009.

iv) ‘Researcher Award', Government of Australia, Brisbane, 2008, International Plant Science Research Association, hosted by Queensland University

v) ‘Internship Scholarship’, Ministry of Education, Japan, 2008, Internship scholarship for 2-weeks at the Research and Development (R&D) wing of Kadoya Sesame Mills Inc. (www.kadoya.com), Japan.

vi) ‘National Science and Technology (NST) Fellow', Ministry of Education, Bangladesh, 2001.

• S.Z. Rashid (2011): Composting and Use of Compost for Organic Agriculture in Bangladesh. Proceedings of the 4th international conference for the Development of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Asia and Africa). ISBN 978-984-33-3789-4.
• S.Z. Rashid and M. Kyo (2010). DOI 10.1007/s11816-009-0119-2. Ectopic expression of ARR1DDK in tobacco: alteration of cell fate in root tip region and shoot organogenesis in cultured segments. Plant Biotechnology Reports, 4 (1): 53 – 59.
• S.Z. Rashid and M. Kyo (2009). Ectopic expression of WOX5 dramatically alters root tip morphology in transgenic tobacco. Transgenic Plant Journal, 3 (special issue 1): 92-96.
• S.Z. Rashid and M. Kyo (2009). In vivo functional assay of WUS ortholog in tobacco. Acta Horticulturae 829: 161 - 166.
• S.Z. Rashid, N. Yamaji and M. Kyo (2007). Shoot formation from root tip region: A developmental alteration by WUS in transgenic tobacco. Plant Cell Reports, 26 (9): 1449 - 1455.
• J.A.T. da Silva, S.Z. Rashid, D.T. Nhut, D. Shivakumar, A. Gera, M.T. Souza, P.F. Tennant (2007). Papaya (Carica papaya L.) Biology and Biotechnology. Tree and Forestry Science and Biotechnology, 1 (1): 47 – 73.
• J.A.T. da Silva, D.T.T. Giang, S.Z. Rashid and D.T. Nhut (2005). Molecular marker-assisted phylogeny and breeding in ornamental, physiological model, medicinal and aromatic plants. In: Genetic Resources and Biotechnology. Vol. 3, pp: 309 - 326.
• J.A.T. da Silva, D.T. Nhut, D.T.T. Giang and S.Z. Rashid (2005). The phylogeny, breeding and ecology of trees using molecular markers. In: Genetic Resources and Biotechnology. Vol.3, pp: 279 - 308.

• Actively collaborated in the development of Bangladesh Country Strategies 2018-2021 and 2022-2025 of the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh.
• Achieved Country Results Frameworks for the thematic pillars - climate, gender and social inclusion and governance through effectively leading the task teams under country framework 2022-2025.
• Key note speaker (working session 6: 'Towards a Greener IC') of the first Swiss International Cooperation Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, 1 April 2022. Received Letter of Appreciation from the President of Switzerland, 2022.
• Effective liaison with ministries (Planning, Local Government) for inclusive national budget planning 2023 to support shock-resilience of the poverty prone people of Bangladesh living in fragile context.
• Presenter - 'Bangladesh Experience' in the SDC global workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction, 2023
• Effective liaison with the Fertilizer Regulatory Board, under Department of Agriculture Extension in Bangladesh, successfully formalized the 'Commercial Compost Regulatory Guideline' for the first time. This initiative streamlined the licensing process and provided legal approval for commercial compost marketers. enhancing the regulatory framework in the sector.

• Swiss Development Agency for Cooperation (SDC)
• UNICEF
• Swisscontact
• International Development Enterprises (iDE)
• Alumni of Ehime University, Japan