Minister Incharge for Science and Technology, Dr Atta-ur-Rahman on Friday said only nations investing in creative knowledge were rising in the world of development.
"There is no substitute of knowledge in the universe so it is obvious that we as Pakistanis should concentrate on seeking knowledge," he said.
The Minister was addressing the farewell ceremony held here in honour of 35 scholars departing for China under the programme of Ph.D Scholarships for Engineering and Basic Sciences.
Dr Atta, who is also chairman of Higher Education Commission (HEC) said the scholars selected for this award are the ambassadors of Pakistan, hoping they would play their due role during their stay in China.
He said studying in top most universities of China for Ph.D degree is not only an opportunity but also a responsibility to serve the nation with the skills they are going to gain during their stay.
Some 35 students and scholars selected after a transparent selection process from public sector universities were present in the function and participated in the briefing given to them by the HEC.
Among the 35 scholars, 33 are from Basic Sciences and two are from Engineering Sciences.
It is to note this Ph.D scholarship scheme is part of a series of scholarship schemes launched by HEC to develop faculty of Pakistanis universities.
The scheme aims at creating a critical mass of highly qualified scientific manpower and would build up the capacity of universities in Pakistan through addition of Ph.Ds in priority disciplines.
The scheme would not only provide opportunities to young talented scientists for training/research work at advanced research labs at reputed universities abroad but also to interact with foreign scientists.
The scheme also encourage international co-operation in higher education sector through harnessing training opportunities offered by friendly countries.