Chairman, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Professor Dr Atta ur Rehman has stressed the need of utilising the by-products of the sugarcane to save huge foreign exchange being utilised to import citric acid, oxalic-acid and blend the ethanol.
"We are spending huge foreign exchange for import of these by products of sugarcane and on petrol. If we produce it locally and blend the ethanol, we will be in a position to export these products and earn foreign exchange", Dr Atta said while addressing the inaugural session of 41st annual convention of Pakistan Society of Sugar Technologists (PSST) started here on Monday. PSST president Abdul Waheed Qureshi presented the welcome address while Dr Shahid Afghan presented the research paper "First Report of Mosaic Virus, New Strains Infecting Sugarcane in Pakistan", in the inaugural session.
Dr Atta expressed shock over lack of research and training institute in sugarcane sector, saying that this was the reason that this sector not flourish in its true spectrum. He called upon PSST to help in establishing a high standard institute. "We will pay Rs 300 million to establish such type of institute for the betterment and development of the sugarcane sector", he added.
The second proposal of Dr Atta ur Rehman was also received excitedly by the sugar technologists, of a public-private joint enterprise on the lines of the Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine at the University of Karachi.
Dr Atta revealed that Nadira Panjwani had donated Rs 120 million while the government provided matching grant to set up this institute. He said that such a sugar institute could be named after the donors while the government support could also provide it long term sustainability.
He said that government has already announced the incentives for the private sector to attract the investment in different agriculture and industrial sectors in the country to strengthen the economy and benefit masses. He also informed the audience about the HEC's research grant programme, which could benefit research in sugar technology.
Dr Atta, who is also advisor to Prime Minister on science and technology, shared his research work on sugar with the sugar technologists and discussed the importance of molecular basis of sugar in memory storage and bonding and how thoughts may be stored and recalled.
Talking about the advancement in the field of science and technology, Dr Atta said that HEC in league with France, Germany, Austria, Sweden, China and Korea was setting up nine engineering universities with about Rs 300 billion cost. These varsities, he said would have a major section devoted to technology parks, technology incubators and business incubators which will be set up with partnering countries and will bring with them their technical expertise, examination systems, equivalence of degrees.
He said that Pakistan has a population of 80 million youths (under 20), which is a big treasure to lead the country towards new heights in education, science and technology. "High quality education is a challenge and we accepted it and give the youth quality education", he added.
He said that at present 500 students are leading abroad for PhD, while after approval of Rs 15 billion project, HEC would send 2,000 students abroad. "These students would start returning back from next year which would change the scenario of the education sector of the country.
Waheed Qureshi, president PSST in his welcome address stressed the role played by the society in field of research and development and urged the need for a sugar technology research and training institute since Pakistan was the fifth largest sugar producing country in the world but lacked such an institute which remained one of the foremost prerequisites of research, development and training of such a vast industry.
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