ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: Chairman National Engineering and Scientific Commission (Nescom) Dr Samar Mubarakmand has asked technical institutes and industries to invest more in target- oriented research. “The quality of research in universities has now improved and the technical institutions as well as industry should exploit this potential by investing more to have a bulk of target-oriented research,” he said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 10th International Multi-topic Conference here on Saturday.

The conference was jointly organised by Mohammad Ali Jinnah University and Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology.

Dr Samar said the number of PhDs in the country has enhanced considerably which reflects the fact that the faculty as well as research credentials and the overall performance of the universities is coming up in a big way.

Appreciating the role of government in research development, he said the government is focusing on the promotion of research by granting more funds to the academic sector and the Higher Education Commission is supporting the basic infrastructure of research in the country.

Underlining the significance of interaction of industry with universities, he said it is high time for the industry and technical institutions to award research work to get optimum benefit from the universities for the alleviation of human miseries.

He said such conferences are always fruitful because these forums ease collaboration among scientists and engineers hailing from different parts of the world and help them sharing ways and means for the application of modern technological developments with their Pakistani counterparts.

“This cross-fertilisation of ideas give rise to new endeavours and new direction in research,” he maintained.

Appreciating the role of the organisers, he said the selection of papers bears a great importance because all papers have been picked up from the frontline technologies.