FAISALABAD, Sept 10: The first national training camp on the National Biology Talent Contest (NBTC) was held at the National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE).

The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) is implementing this project with the support of HEC after the successful talent contests in physics. The camp is being held at the NIBGE, Faisalabad, under the STEM career project, which is a joint venture of commission to groom talented students for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Over 40 students from all over the country participated in the camp and students were selected on the basis of their performance on a nationwide screening test held on Feb 22, 2004.

In this camp, experienced scientists of the country delivered lectures in various disciplines of biological sciences. Informal panel discussions were arranged in which eminent scientists Prof Dr Muhammad Arsalan, Prof Fazili Majid, Prof Dr Waheed Akhtar and Dr Kauser A Malik delivered their deliberations and had a healthy scientific dialogue with the students.

At the end of the camp, students were given merit certificates in a ceremony in which PAEC bio-sciences/administration member Dr Kauser A Malik was the chief guest. According to organizers, it was the first camp of its nature for selecting the most intelligent young students team in the area of biological sciences to represent the country during the 18th International Biology Olympiad to be hosted by Canada in 2007.

The top 10 to 12 of these students from across the country would be groomed and tested for their theoretical and experimental capabilities during a second camp to be held in December 2004.

These talented students would further be groomed at NIBGE during the 3rd week-long training camp in March 2005 from whom four students would be selected for presidential award, and to participate in the International Biology Olympiad.