ISLAMABAD, Aug 25: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has decided to launch a Rs30 million project entitled ‘science, technology, engineering, and mathematics career development (STEM)’.

The programme is submitted by Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad.

The major objective of the project is to motivate and encourage as many as 200 young scientists to opt for career in the areas of basic sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics by supporting their participation in national and international competitions.

The selection would be made through a contest. In quantitative terms, more than 25,000 young and brilliant students from all over the country are expected to appear in the national contests.

These 200 selected students would be invited to PIEAS campus in Nilore, Islamabad, in training camps where experts and eminent scientists will groom them with the latest and sophisticated science and technological knowledge.

Under the project, a number of visits of state-of-the-art laboratories and industries will be arranged and lectures, experimental sessions, discussions and evening sittings with prominent scientists also be organized for clarification of scientific concepts and solution of their difficulties in basic sciences subjects.

A team of talented young students would also be prepared after a rigorous training and screening procedure.

The team would represent the country in the ‘International Olympiads’ in physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics. Through the project, due recognition would be given at highest level to the students who excel in the national competitions and represent the country in the International Olympiads in their respective areas of interest.

A complete website of the ‘national science contests’ in the country will also be developed through the project which contains commonly required information for the participating students, such as policies, rules and regulations, scholarships, news and press releases regarding the contest.

With implementation of the project, young intelligent students between 17 and 19 years of age belonging to family of any income level would benefit.

The project was approved by the Departmental Development Working Party (DDWP) of the HEC at its meeting presided over by the commission executive director, Dr M. Akram Shaikh. The project will be completed in four years.—APP