The Vice Chancellor, University of Sindh Prof. Dr Nazir A. Mughal has urged upon the scientists to interact with each other to learn about latest discoveries and findings as it is the society at large that is the ultimate beneficiary. This becomes more significant when it relates to an item of daily use such as oil and fats that pertains to health and wellbeing, he said.
He was speaking as a chief guest in inaugural session of three-day international conference on "Current Technologies in Oil and Fats", organised by National Centre of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, University of Sindh in collaboration with Higher Education Commission at a local hotel, here on Monday.
Prof. Dr Mughal said that today, with the advancement in science, we see a new trend of multidisciplinary research in which the frontiers of various fields in science such as chemistry, biology, physics, geology, soil sciences, medicines and clinical sciences are merging. He said that their main target is to provide a viable and sustainable solution to the humanity. One important area of research is vegetable oils and fats, a food product that we all consume in our daily life, he added.
He noted that in view of increasing number of population, several parts of the world are and will be facing shortage of food which is going to aggravate the situation in coming years. He said that quality of oil and ghee, oil or fats also calls for intensive research programmes, adding that joint research programmes among various research and development organisations and industries is the prime need of the country.
The VC invited scholars to visit the industries of various parts of the country and offer their services for research as well as training of manpower. He informed that National Centre of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry has developed a strong liaison with the industry and producing fruitful research for the benefit of the industry and society.
In his address, Dr Hussain Kara from Konya University Turkey, guest of honour on the occasion, expressed best regards for the people of Pakistan on behalf of people of Turkey. He said that we must pay attention on varsity- industry co-operation for the benefit of the society and use of research.
Industrialist from the oil sector, Parvez Khan said that the world has been facing the situation of food shortage situation as it faced in 2008. He said that in our country, food demand and supply is not in balance while food price problem is also being faced by the industry. He pointed out that seven billion of world population will reach up to nine billion during the next 40 years, adding that food crises would also increase in next few years or more.
Pervez opined that only science could help to overcome food crisis and added that economists would have to join hands for helping establish a fair market mechanism. Expressing his views, Director of National Centre of Excellence in Analytical Chemistry, Dr Muhammad Iqbal Bhangar said that world is observing year 2011 as 'Year of Chemistry'. He added that world scientists today are engaged in oil/fats research.
Highlighting research activities at the institute, Dr Bhanger said it has been conducting research on oil since 20 years and has produced a number of scholars. He said that MoUs will be signed with the varsities of Turkey to initiate collaborative research programmes. Scholar from Turkey, Malaysia and Pakistan and representatives of various research organisations and industries also attended the inaugural session of the conference.