KARACHI, April 11: There is a need for raising the standard of training of scholars in economic related fields of chemical and bio-chemical sciences and resource mobilization for future growth in new disciplines of sciences. This was stressed by the Acting Director of the International Centre for Chemical sciences (ICCS), Prof. Dr. Mohammad Iqbal Choudhry. He was speaking on the occasion of a workshop organized at the ICCS here.

The moot entitled: “National training course on on-line and off- line information resources in chemical sciences” was organized by the National Library of Chemical Sciences, HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry at Karachi University.

Dr. Iqbal further said this centre has now become the focal point of research and development in this region attracting scientists from all over the world.

He said the workshop would stimulate thorough discussion of the issues and exploration of solutions and would create change in our dimension so that we could plan for future collaboration among the libraries and organize information sharing and coordinate development.

As many as 28 library professionals from different leading institutions concerning chemical and applied sciences participated in the moot.

The Librarian of the National Library of HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, Syed Ejaz Ahmed Soofi, said the main objective of holding the workshop was to equip library professionals with latest on-line and off-line information tools in chemical sciences.

He also informed that the library of the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry consists of over 7,000 books plus 170 titles of journals whereas the combined collection of ICCS is more than 20,000 printed works.

A senior professor at HEJ, Dr. Viqaruddin Ahmed, and Chairperson of Karachi University’s Department of Library Science, Prof. Malahat Kaleem, also spoke.—APP