Suparco is engaged in mega projects of national importance, including implementation of the National Satellite Development Programme (NSDP), which also includes design development/manufacturing, launch and operations of a National Communication Satellite System (Paksat-1R) and a Remote Sensing Satellite System (RSSS).
Suparco representatives revealed this during a meeting with the Punjab University faculty member Lieutenant General Arshad Mahmood (Retd), Vice-Chancellor of the university chaired the meeting.
The meeting was aimed at chalking out a framework for mutual co-operation between the two institutions. Professor Dr Naseer Ahmed, Director Institute of Geology, Dr Muhammad Ali, Chairman Department of Space Science, Dr Nazima Ikram, Director Centre for Solid State Physics represented Punjab University while Suparco was represented by Toqeer Aslam, Syed Ghazanfar Ali Raza and Iqbal Rao in the meeting.
The participants maintained that Suparco immediately needed to embark upon an extensive human resource development programme with the support of relevant national/international universities of repute, in the establishment of necessary infrastructure at or close to its present establishment at Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi.
Speaking on the occasion, Arshad Mahmood said that the issue to provide more land to Suparco would be placed before the Syndicate of the University after assessing and evaluating the outcomes of the already signed MoU of lease.
He added that the practical collaboration shall take place between Suparco and Punjab University as Punjab University has the potential to enhance its co-operation with the Suparco in fields of mutual interest, eg Telecommunication/Satellite Communications, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Geology, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Microelectronics, Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS) and Physics, including High Energy Physics and Solid State Physics.