Summer college speakers urge investment in research

There is need to invest in research that is likely to generate immediate and specific benefits, either wealth creation or improvements in the quality of life, Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ASICTP) Director Fernando Quevedo said on Monday.
Quevedo was addressing the inaugural session of International Nathiagali Summer College (INSC) on “Physics and Contemporary Needs” at NCP.
Quevedo said, “Scientific development in countries like Pakistan, China and Brazil have improved substantially; and the mission of ICTP is alive today more than ever. Scientists should continue working to convince policy makers of the obvious relation between investment in science and technology and level of development.”
Addressing the occasion, Director Steve Myers said that Pakistan is in a better position to achieve stronger links with CERN, than some other countries. CERN is the topmost particle physics laboratory in the world and the LHC, its brainchild, is the largest and highest-energy particle accelerator, credited with the discovery of the Higgs Boson.
“Countries that apply for associate member status must have scientific infrastructure that is compatible with what we have at CERN,” Myers said. “Pakistan has the necessary infrastructure to benefit from associate membership.” He added that though countries like Ukraine and Brazil had applied for associate membership of the science body, Pakistani physicists were more focused towards an improved CERN link.
Local physicists believe that a stronger association with CERN will win Pakistan greater access to experimental data from the LHC and will allow local companies to manufacture electronic equipment for the top research facility.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) Chairman Dr Ansar Pervez said that INSC has always been inaugurated by prime minister or president or a very senior govt. official. “This time we moved away from this tradition and invited ASICTP Director, Italy in recognition of association and collaboration of ICTP and INSC. We have a productive relationship since many years”. PAEC is helping to hold this college regularly since its inception in 1976 and we will continue this tradition. The success of this college would not be possible without the help of international scientific community, he added.
Dr Pervez said that we should guide our scientists and connect science to everyday needs. No one can deny that scientific development requires commitment at individual and national level besides financial resources. “In Pakistan, we have a crop of talented young scientists. We need to strengthen our scientific infrastructure to provide them level playing field. Of course, economic prosperity and reduction in poverty can be achieved through education”.
The chairman stated that PAEC itself is committed to utilisation of nuclear technology for security and prosperity of the country. “Our nuclear medical centres, agriculture centres are functioning for the betterment of the common man. Common man only measures scientific benefits in terms of economic benefits. What PAEC achieved is due to manpower, confidence and commitment of scientists”.
While concluding his speech, the Chairman said “we must acknowledge the efforts of organisers of this college as this college is very instrumental to pursue science in this country”.
In his introductory remarks National Centre for Physics (NCP) Director General, Hamid Saleem said the idea of holding INSC was initiated by Pakistan’s Nobel Laureate Dr Abdus Salam for breaking the intellectual isolation of the scientists in the developing countries and keeping pace with rapid progress in the science and contemporary needs by promoting higher science education.