ISLAMABAD, Oct 11: Extraordinary talent and innovation were displayed at the annual NASCON’03, an All-Pakistan national software exhibition and competition, by 172 students, showing that Pakistan was not behind the most advanced countries in software production.

The competition was organized by the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Islamabad, at a local hotel on Saturday.

Federal Minister for Water and Power Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao was the chief guest. Chancellor Wasim Sajjad and Director Dr Aftab Ahmad Maroof were also present on the occasion.

A quiz competition and seminars were also arranged to give the participants an insight into the latest technologies, trends and research works in IT. To highlight creativity and ingenuity among students, a special poster competition for children from schools and colleges was also introduced this year.

Strengthening the bonds of interaction between the university and the industry for relevant, useful and updated interaction, professionals from the industry were also invited to judge, evaluate and advise the projects developed by the students.

Mr Sherpao said such events and competitions are vital in our peculiar economic setting in the wake of our desire to become a more responsible, respectable, scientific-minded and self-reliant nation in the 21st century.

The minister said Pakistan had tremendous potential in the field of science and technology; only the right policies and strong will were required to bring them to surface.

Among the software competitors were Nosheen Akram and Omeir Zahid, computer software students from FAST, Lahore. Teaching the computer to create on its own had merged fine arts with computer science using artificial intelligence. Their software called “Intuition” produced music created by the computer entirely itself.

“The maximum effort on the part of the user is to hum into the microphone and the software will interpret and create music according to the mood and taste of the user,” said Ms Akram.

BSC Software Engineering students from the Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, have developed a Pulse Doppler Radar, using re-configurable computing. The product is a miniature device specially for defence purposes.

It could be installed in cameras and watches, said Sandeela Sumeem, a software engineering student. She said it detected an object, determined if it was moving and then determined its velocity, direction and range.—A Reporter