ISLAMABAD, Jan 31: The National Engineering and Scientific Commission (Nescom) is developing a science city in the capital by establishing six centres of excellences in different disciplines for post-doctoral research.
The announcement to this effect was made by Nescom Chairman Dr Samar Mubarakmand at a special one-day symposium on physics here on Monday. The event was organized by the commission to mark the 100 years of the publications of pioneering works on photoelectric effect - Brownian Motion and Special Theory of Relativity - by Albert Einstein.
It also commemorated the birthday of Pakistan's Nobel Laureate, Prof (Dr) Abdus Salam. Dr Mubarakmand said the science city would provide advanced research facilities to universities and other institutions.
The world must acknowledge the endeavours made by physicists who have not only contributed to providing comfort to the mankind, but also made the world a global village to unleash new forces of development, he said.
A National Centre for Physics is also being planned as another step towards providing younger physicists a chance to prepare for future challenges, he said. The machines installed at the centre would help nuclear physicist to train themselves in applications of nuclear structures.
It would also provide them an environment to repeat the experiments done in the past and to do original research work. Such research and experiments, he said, would help unfold nuclear structure and provide training in nuclear instrumentation.
This would also help prepare a system for meaningful future research and development, the Nescom chairman said. Referring to the challenge of having a sustainable fusion reaction, Dr Mubarakmand said the world was eagerly awaiting for physicist to come up with a cheap and clean source of energy.
He said the impact of physics on Pakistan's defence scenario could not be belittled as the crop of physicist raised in the 60s was responsible for making the country a nuclear state in 1998.
After the nuclear tests, the cause of physics has been advanced at the national level. This is manifested by the fact that more students are now taking up the subject in colleges and universities.
The Nescom chairman stressed that Pakistani physicists could not afford to be complacent with their past achievements. They need to be updated with latest research at the international level so that they can help Pakistan stay competitive in the technical arena.
He said facilities like High Tension Lab established in 1951-52 at Lahore provided his generation of physicist an opportunity to do research in a meaningful and effective manner. Paying tributes to Dr Abdus Salam, Dr Mubarakmand urged the young professional physicists to keep up the traditions of research high in the country.
Earlier, Nescom Member Tech Dr Mansoor Beg, former Suparco chairman Dr Abdul Majid, Dr Khunab Gul and Prof (Dr) G. Murtaza Butt spoke on solid state physics, astrophysics, accelerator physics and plasma physics, respectively. Participants came from local universities, research and development organizations and other public sector bodies.
OUR REPORTER ADDS: National Engineering and Scientific Commission (Nescom) has planned setting up of a centre of excellence to promote research in the field of medical sciences.
This was disclosed by the Nescom chairman, Dr Samar Mubarakmand, while speaking as chief guest at the 6th convocation of the National Academy of Medical Sciences held at the Higher Education Commission (HEC) auditorium here on Monday.
He said eminent personalities in the field of medicine would be invited from abroad to this centre to help the young professionals conduct research. This, he said, would enable them in producing publications of international standards, thus ultimately paving the way for their admission to the top ranking medical schools of the world.
He urged the medical community to keep itself abreast of the latest research and development in the field of medicine so that they can serve the ailing humanity. Dr Samar said the phenomenal progress made in the field of medical engineering had blended with the prevalent medical expertise to provide the mankind new healthcare standards.
Describing his long association with a number of nuclear medical centres in the country, Dr Samar said he got an insight into the significance of doctor-patient relationship which is vital for the advancement of medical science.
