Science and education are the top priorities of government and in this regard, Ministry of Science and Technology was going to create strong coordination among the country's best 15 research institutions, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Hussain Chaudhry said on Monday.
The federal minister was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of a four-day International Symposium-cum-Training Course on Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, held at the Prof Salimuzzaman Siddiqui Auditorium, under the aegis of Dr Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD), University of Karachi (KU).
Over 700 scientists, including 100 from 35 countries i.e. Turkey, Iran, Iraq, China, Egypt, Syria, Italy, Nigeria, Greece, USA, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Sweden, New Zealand, Hungry, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, Sudan, Thailand, Oman, Cameron, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal are attending the international event.
KU Vice Chancellor Prof Khalid Mehmood Iraqi, Prime Minister's National Task Force on Science and Technology chairman Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, Dr Panjwani Memorial Trust chairperson Nadira Panjwani, Husein Ebrahim Jamal Foundation chairman Aziz Latif Jamal, ICCBS director Prof Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, French scholar Prof Georges Massiot, Greek scientist Dr Ioannis P Gerothanassis, German scientist Dr Bertram Flehmig, and the Symposium coordinator Dr Asmat Salim also expressed their views.
Pakistan is heading towards the manufacturing of solar and lithium batteries, as Chinese companies ready to set up solar energy plants in Pakistan, Fawad told. About the drinking water problem, minister assured to resolve the issue in the next 16 months, Fawad said.
Fawad Chaudhry pointed out that around 600 percent increase in the budget of science and technology showed the sincerity of the government towards science and research. He informed the participants that the government also is prioritizing the education at school and college level.
Talking to the media, he lamented that recent Pakistan's initiative to highlight the Kashmir issue in the international community got weakened due to the sit-in protest of JUI-F. He pointed out that there was no comparison between PTI's sit-in and the recent, as PTI first knocked the doors of courts and commissions. After making all the efforts, PTI was forced to observe a sit-in protest.
He also welcomed the large number of foreign delegated, and said he was pleased to see a large number of foreign scientists participating in the prestigious symposium. This major science event is indeed an important step forward towards a better understanding of diseases at the molecular level and towards developing safe and effective drugs against prevailing disorders, he added.
KU VC Prof Khalid Iraqi said there was a pressing need to prioritize training programmes for our young scientists. We are confident that this international event will not only help in generating scientific interest of young scholars in extremely important field health care research, but also foster productive linkages between the scientists beyond the national boundaries, he said.
Dr Atta-ur-Rahman said science was about building bridges between the countries. This science conference is not only about quality and excellence but also about friendship and cooperation between many nations.
Talking about the government's current initiatives in science and technology, Dr Atta said 200 billion rupees had been approved for two ministries. As many as 27 mega projects have been initiated to foster science, research, and education in the country. These government projects will help the nation in harnessing the benefits of modern science.
Dr Muhammad Iqbal Chaudhry, Director, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) University of Karachi said ICCBS was one of the premier research establishments in the developing world. Its reputation for scientific research and training extends far beyond the country's borders, he said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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