Vice Chancellor Mehran University of Engineering & Technology (MUET) Professor Dr Mohammad Aslam Uqaili said that one must come out from one's comfort zones of life to become successful scientist and researchers used to do things with their idiosyncratic behaviour and takes abnormalities as research opportunities. This he said while speaking as a chief guest in one day workshop jointly organised by Research & Development Foundation (RDF) and US-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCASW), on Spate Irrigation in collaboration with Oxfam Novib and The University of Utah at ORIC Hall MUET Jamshoro.
Dr Uqaili said that in the world most of the successful scientists are known by common people as abnormal persons because they did work for their desired fields beyond the normal limits. He said water sector in Pakistan needs researchers who can work for in applied research in various water related fields beyond the limit and USPCASW-MUET is endeavouring for this cause by educating the next generation of scientist, engineers and policy makers through innovate academic programs in water focusing on applied research to solve Pakistan's contemporary water problems.
MUET Vice Chancellor Professor Uqaili emphasized the participants especially the newly enrolled 1st Batch of MS/PhD in USPCASW, to engage themselves in water research in its neglected fields like spate irrigation system and other related various applications. He also further advised them to get the community connected in their respective research fields as to provide the maximum benefit to society which is ultimate beneficiary of this academic-industrial applied research. He also thanked United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for its generous funding and support to USPCASW.
On this occasion Project Director Professor Dr Bakhshal Khan Lashari speaking in the workshop said that national and local research and development (R&D) organisations are approaching USPCASW for organising such type of seminars and workshops as RDF is doing today. He further said that this is the first week and we have first workshop for the newly enrolled students of USPCASW and this type of workshops and seminar will be organised in partnership with different academic institutes and research organisations to benefit the students of USPCASW.
On this occasion, RDF head of programs Ashfaq Soomro said that Pakistan is rapidly becoming a water scarce country and effective management of the water resources is need of the day, while the Spate Irrigation management can play a vital role in flood management and drought mitigation. He further said that students of USPCASW may take spate as priority area for their research and RDF will provide the internship opportunities in this regard. In the workshop water research expert Karim Nawaz, Professor Kamran Ansari and Professor Altaf Ali Siyal presented their presentations on Spate Irrigation: potential and challenges faced by Pakistan and Sindh.