The economic strength as well as access to technology and environment for innovation determines the status of a nation in the evolving global world. Without economic strength and knowledge, we would remain vulnerable to external manipulations at the cost of reaching our true and proper position.
Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Mir Changez Khan Jamali said this while inaugurating the three-day international moot on botany at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. The 3rd International Conference on Botany was organised by the QAU in collaboration with Pakistan Botanical Society (PBS).
The event is aimed at providing a historic opportunity to its scientists and young scholars to meet with distinguished intellectuals and leading experts, exchange ideas and develop strategies in the field of plant sciences. Vice Chancellor, Quaid-i-Azam University, Prof Dr Masoom Yasinzai, in his welcome address, said the representatives of various countries here in this conference possess a credible science and technology potential. “Some countries have created basic infrastructure and have achieved a degree of success on certain fronts, but are lacking in capital resources to sustain their research and development setup. On the other hand, some states have very weak Science and Technology base and are almost completely dependent on imported technologies but possess huge capital resources to meet these requirements. This forum provides an opportunity to discuss such issues at least for plant sciences and to get benefitted from the research advances made.”
He said, “Mutual cooperation is the need of the hour. We must forge unity among our ranks and files and demonstrate our commitment to each other’s assistance in working for the common cause of regaining our lost glory of leadership and research,” said the vice chancellor. He said education must be considered as an essential investment in national development and not as expenditure. “We must first build our people through grooming their minds by a challenging educational system which can suitably prepare them to tackle key national problems.”
Earlier, Dr Zabta Khan Shinwari, head of the Department of Bio Technology and President of Pakistan Botanical Society, in his detailed presentation, described the history and background of the Botanical Society, scope of plant sciences. Faculty of Biological Sciences Dean Prof Dr Asghari Bano briefed the audiences about the achievements of the faculty.
Almost 200 scientists and faculty members, across the country and abroad (Oman, Turkey, Saudi Arab, France) are participating in the conference. These scientists in their lectures, poster presentations and panel discussions will elaborate recent trends in their relative fields of expertise, including physiology, ecology, eco-physiology, microbial interactions, plant taxonomy, economic botany, molecular biology, plants and environment, agriculture agronomy, horticulture, plant breeding and genetics.
