Science must be properly funded: Terrance Taylor

Terrance Thomas Taylor, President of International Council for Life Sciences USA on Sunday said science must be properly funded with having proper understanding of its social, cultural and religious aspects so that society could reap its true health related, social and economic benefits.
Many people involved in life sciences research and related activities, including physicists, chemists, engineers and increasingly information technology specialists in governmental, academic and private sector institutions and organisations, he said, did not have a biological science background.
Thus, academic and other educational institutions have a special problem in ensuring the proper training and education of individuals at facilities engaged in activities where special precautions are needed, he added.
Terrance Thomas Taylor was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of three-day Fifth International Council for Life Sciences KIBGE Conference on 'Responsible Conduct of Science: Ethical Concerns in Medical and Pharmaceutical Practice and Research' at KIBGE, University of Karachi. He observed that science must be conducted to benefit mankind. Communication was very vital in the field of science, and scientists must communicate to government, public, journalists and fellow scientists
in order to disseminate their research. They must connect with policy makers and public at large to build confidence in them that scientists very well understand their responsibilities, he added. "The scientists and researchers in Pakistan are doing a great job in their research work and especially I am delighted to witness such great interest of the students and faculty members of University of Karachi for this particular conference", he remarked.
Earlier, KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Muhammad Ajmal Khan, on the occasion, welcomed the foreign scholars at University of Karachi and congratulated Professor Dr Abid Azhar for organising the conference. "Science is not a bad thing but if we use it for wrong purposes then it's bad. We should use science positively. The prime responsibility of science is to benefit humanity and mankind. Gradually, our scientists and researchers are doing so good despite meager resources," Dr Ajmal remarked.
Vice Chancellor Ziauddin University Professor Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui lamented upon the fact that "in our country, we don't have much resources on science and technology. "Despite such limited resources, our scientists and scholars are doing outstanding and quality research, they have devoted their lives and careers for the promotion of the culture of research and science in the country for which they deserve to be recognised. The purpose of science is to benefit the mankind."
KIBGE, he said, had emerged as a globally recognised academic and research institute under the dynamic leadership of Dr Abid Azhar. President International Council for Life Sciences, Pakistan Dr Anwar Nasim said that Pakistan was blessed with talented, committed and disciplined youth and the government should promote science and technology with allocation of adequate budget for science and technology.
Later, while presenting research papers, meritorious professor and chairman department of geography KU Professor Dr Jamil Hasan Kazmi said ethical concerns and issues were serious challenges of everyday science around the world. Every ethical code was embedded in a well-conceived worldview. "At large, for every human being worldviews determine the thinking process, role in this world and a formal ethical code to be practiced.
"Contemporary scientists lack innovative and new ideas which were never presented before, all of the ideas and research are being done on old theories or ideas," he lamented. Professor Dr Kausar Abdullah Malik from F.C College Lahore, in his research, revealed that 13 per cent of the global population was malnourished despite production of enough food. The shortfall, he said, was due to a range of factors, like lack of infrastructure to distribute food, inability of the poor to purchase adequate food and food wastage.
Dr Muhammad Ismail from Institute of Biomedical and Genetic Engineering Islamabad, in his research paper, said the objective of biosafety, in medicine and health related laboratories specifically referred to proper handling of organs or tissues from biological origin, or genetic therapy products, viruses with respect to the environment, to ensure the safety of health care workers, researchers, lab staff, patients and the general public. Director Dr A.Q. Khan Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (KIBGE), University of Karachi Professor Dr Abid Azhar, in his address, said such kind conferences were vital for bridging the gap between the field experts and the students. Life sciences research, he said, was an increasingly global enterprise in which rapid advances promised important contributions to health, food, and energy challenges.