September 20, 2005	Tuesday	Sha'aban 15, 1426

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 19: The 9th international symposium on advanced materials opened here with a firm resolve from the scientific community to foster closer ties for progress and development of humanity.

The four-day moot being attended by more than 50 foreign scientists and researchers from 14 counties besides some 200 local participants is being organized by Khan Research Laboratories (KRL). Inaugurating the symposium, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Nouraiz Shakoor called for a close networking and sharing of knowledge between scientists and researchers.

“We need to clearly focus on our national development goals like other Asian countries such as Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan,” said the minister, expressing the hope that with the commitment and devotion to hard work, the scientists and researchers of Pakistan would achieve a bright future for the nation reflecting the elements of a glorious past.

Elaborating the government’s role for the development of science and technology, he informed the gathering that during the last four years, budgetary allocations for the sector had been increased manifold. Some 152 development projects to the tune of Rs12 billion were launched in this vital sector of development while more than Rs1 billion were earmarked for the post-doctoral fellowship programmes.

Besides, the PhD allowance has been increased from Rs1,500 to Rs5,000 and a research productivity allowance has also been introduced. Some Rs50 million were distributed among the scientists on the basis of their research productivity, he added.

Chairman KRL Dr Javed Arshad Mirza highlighted the role of advanced materials in the development of a nation. Calling them the building blocks of man’s progress and future prosperity, he said as time threw new challenges, scientists and engineers all over the world were turning more and more towards the material sciences to seek solutions that were durable, dependable and desirable.

He said in recent years, plastic development had undoubtedly become the forerunner of today’s engineering polymers and advanced composite technologies which were fast making inroads into traditionally non-plastic-using sectors. Talking about the economic benefits of the industry, he said in US alone the PVC industry had grown at a rate of 100 per cent per year during the last five years.

In the field of ceramics, the worldwide market for advanced ceramics was estimated to be over $25 billion and in the North America alone, the market for advanced ceramic powders was estimated to be over $1.1 billion in 2004. Dr Mirza also spoke about nanotechnologies which, he said, was also referred to as technology of the future. He said the KRL was already at work on this critical issue. The centre, he said, had shown significant results in intricate fields like energy beam modified surfaces, mechanical alloying, surface modification techniques, development of advanced ceramics and nano-structured permanent magnets.

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