There is a need to foster academic and scientific culture in order to put the country on the path of progress and prosperity. The Vice Chancellor, Karachi University, Prof. Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui stressed this.
He was delivering inaugural address at the 35th All Pakistan Science Conference being held under the auspices of the faculty of Science, University of Karachi on Sunday.
According to organisers, as many as 400 delegates from within the country and abroad are attending the four-day moot. They said that the very purpose of the conference is to gather the scientists on a platform, exchange views and knowledge and benefit from one another's experiences.
Prof. Pirzada further pointed out that the resources in the realms of higher education have doubled in the past couple of years. He praised the role being played by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in this respect.
The VC also lauded the role of the former chairman of HEC, Prof. Dr Atta ur Rahman.
He said that Prof. Atta inculcated among the public sector universities the need to generate their own resources as well. Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Atta was of the view that substantial money was required to help improve the state of education in the country. He cited the advancement attained by Malaysia and said that in that country 25 percent of the annual budget is allocated for education.
Further, Prof. Atta also pointed towards the progress made in the higher education sector in Pakistan in the past couple of years.
He said that more than 2,000 youngsters have been sent for higher education abroad during the last four years. Prof. Atta said that when the HEC was established, the registration of students at the university level was 1,13,000 and now it has increased to more than 3,00,000.
He also pointed out that the HEC spent most of the money towards the scholarship programme. The Dean of KU's Faculty of Science, Prof. Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi said that scientists could play a key role for the progress and development of the country.
The Acting Director, HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, KU, Prof. Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhry, pointed towards the academic and research activities that are being carried out at the KU.