Dr. Pirzada holds degree(s) of M.Phil. in basic medical sciences (Reproductive Physiology) and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). He has post-graduate trainings in the area of strategic planning, international trade, sanitary & phytosanitary management (Food Safety/Agricultural Health), Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Management and market reforms/analyses.

Dr. Pirzada started his career as Veterinarian- a development practitioner working to support rural livelihoods, public health and food security through integrated livestock development. Favorably inspired by the work of James Herriot (www.worldofjamesherriot.org/james-herriot.html), he worked closer to the farming community and as a keen student and observer he was able to gather a body of knowledge and experience of rural psychology, sociology & economics. This led him to think, as change agent about the factors responsible for rural poverty and possible alternatives/options to help rural communities come out of the vicious circle of poverty-disease-hunger.  This led to a shift in his career.

His passion for change led to him to join the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) as a scientist and gradually over a period of twenty years he moved from the desk of active lab.-based researcher to research manager, policy maker and negotiator in the area of international trade & food safety & security.

In this journey, he  helped developed new institutions including Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council(www.pvmc.gov.org ) ,of which he was founding Registrar & Secretary  and University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences(www.uvas.edu.pk ), World Trade Organization (WTO) Food & Agriculture Related  Matters (WTO-FARM) Cell at Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (www.parc.gov.org ) and WTO Unit at then  Federal Ministry of  Food, Agriculture & Livestock in Pakistan .He led the latter two institutional settings as National Coordinator/Chief WTO.

Dr. Pirzada while working in the area of international trade in food & agriculture developed a keen interest in the nexus of international trade-food security-climate change. He emerged as pioneer researcher in the area of international trade in food & agriculture and an authority on SPS management in Pakistan and the region. He was instrumental in forging public sector coordination with civil society and private sector, especially in relation to international trade & food security.

Dry .Pirzada also worked with academia as Visiting Faculty, including Fatima Jinnah Women University where he taught for five years postgraduate students economics of agricultural protection & support, Islamic International University where he taught diploma courses in the area of SPS and IPR management and National Institute of Management/National Institute of Policy Studies (former Pakistan Administrative Staff College).

Dr. Pirzada was also associated with United Nation’s World Food Programme (UN-WFP) as Food Security/Livelihood Analyst-VAM Officer, with Action Aid International as 5 Country Team Leader of DFID-funded projects on Impact of Import Surges on Developing Counties, HelpAge (www.helpage.org ) International as Senior Manager Policy Research, Advocacy & Mainstreaming. He was associated with the World Bank, Asia Pacific Seed Association (APSAwww.apsaseed.org ), Oxfam GB, Action Aid Pakistan, GIZ Pakistan, UN-FAO Pakistan, WTO Training Directorate, SAWTEE Nepal, CUTS India and Cabi South Asia, as Lead Consultant/Resource Person for TOT.

Dr. Pirzada has more than 150 publications to his credit in the area of livestock health & production, public health & hygiene, international trade, SPS/ value-chain management, Disaster Risk reduction (DRR), Green Skills Development and Food Security/Safety. In many of these areas, his published work is of pioneering nature and is being used as reference.

For the last 14 years he is working closely with the civil society in Pakistan, in the region and internationally. More details on his career and work are available on his blog: www.wajidshah.blogspot.com