Meeting on Science & Technology Capacity Building for Sustainable Development Concludes with Revitalized Commitment for Continued Efforts for Building Capacities

The meeting on Science and Technology Capacity Building for Sustainable Development concludes with a revitalized commitment and vow by various circles of the society to continue efforts and support for building capacities in all spheres of national and strategic importance.

The three-day meeting, inaugurated on the 19th of February by Mr. Parvez Butt, H.I., S.I, Chairman, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), deliberated on the core theme of building capacities in areas of central importance, vital to immediate and long-term requisites of national development. The meeting spread over five technical sessions that generated healthy discussions and brought in worthwhile suggestions by invited speakers and experts in their respective fields of specialization and by the interactive participants present all the three days. The focal themes of five technical sessions were Industry and Engineering; Human Resource Development; Geology & Energy; Information Technology and Agriculture.

The concluding session of the three-day conference was presided over by His Excellency Mr. Awad Mohamed Hassan, Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan to Pakistan. The session commenced with the recitation from the Holy Qur’an and offer of Fatiha in honor of the martyrs of the tragic air plane crash that took place on the 20th of February, 2003 near Kohat, and left dead the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir and his wife among 15 other PAF officers.

The session proceeded with Executive Director of COMSATS, Dr. Hameed Ahmed Khan, H.I., S.I. presenting summary of the papers read out during the course of the conference, recapitulating the core recommendations and suggestions coming from professionals and experts. Dr. Khan presented his gratitude to all the chairpersons, speakers and participants of the meeting for making it useful forum that took stock of present challenges and future course of action for sustainability challenges.

Mrs. Zam Abdul Karim, Deputy Director Science and Technology, Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment, Malaysia and Mr. Emmanuel Rugumire-Makuza from Makarere University, Center of Basic Research, Uganda spoke on the occasion and emphasized the need to enhance S&T capacity building for survival and growth with the commercialization of R&D being the foundation for such efforts. They also highlighted that indigenous technology is crucial for sustainable development.

The honourable Chief Guest, H.E. Mr. Awad Mohamed Hassan, expressed his appreciation on the organization of a most relevant event by COMSATS. He said that S&T was highly important in every profession and indeed national progress in which Human Resource Development plays a pivotal role.

At the end of the concluding ceremony the distinguished guests and participants were thanked for their valuable input and helping to ensure that the event was a fruitful one.