ISLAMABAD, March 14: The minister in charge science and technology, Prof Attaur Rahman, has said the government has taken a number of steps during the last four years to include science and technology in the national development plans.

The minister was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day meeting of Comsats Coordinating Council here on Sunday. The meeting is being attended by the representatives of Egypt, China, Jordan, Nigeria, Tanzania, Turkey and Pakistan.

Dr Ata said there was a great need of close cooperation between organizations working for identical objectives. Comstech and Comsats are the two organizations working enthusiastically for the capacity building of OIC member states and developing countries, he added.

He said the interaction of these organizations with Third World Academy of Science (TWAS) will also be enhanced. The minister said the government was now focusing on the application of science for production of value added goods on commercial basis and rapid industrialization.

"To achieve this objective changes are being introduced at the master's level. Students will be given practical experience of the subjects taught. For this technology incubators and technology banks are being set up in a number of public sector universities," the minister said.

He said in addition to changes being introduced in the educational system, the government was also focusing on the preparation of necessary laws and creating scientific facilities to promote trade and prepare the industry to face new challenges.

Special attention is being paid to laws governing intellectual property rights, anti-dumping and bioethics etc. Recalling that both TWAS and Comsats were set up on the initiative of late Dr Abdus Salam, Prof Ata lauded the Nobel laureate's services for the promotion of science and technology. He, however, termed it unfortunate that Pakistan and other developing countries did not benefit from his ideas.

"Since so many years the heads of states of developing countries particularly OIC member states have only been making speeches emphasising the importance of S&T."