Young scientists: President calls for focussing on space education

Says plans need to be devised to attain self-sufficiency in all fields

ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain Tuesday call for focusing on education and research related to space sciences and said solid plans to improve skills of young scientists to attain self-sufficiency needed to be devised.

He expressed these views while inaugurating the second International Conference on Space 2016 held at the headquarters of Comstech (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation) on Tuesday.

“Improving the capacity of Pakistani scientists in different fields of science including space research would be a valuable asset in improving living standards of people,” Mamnoon said.

He added that development in scientific research would help bring further improvement in the fields of communications, agriculture, infrastructure development, environmental monitoring, early warning systems and education.

The president said it was heartening to learn that help from space sciences was also being taken in the planning and monitoring the country’s great project - China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“We will also be able to render valuable services for international peace and stability by positively contributing to space research.”

Mamnoon said the conference would provide an opportunity for Pakistani scientists to learn from the experiences of visiting delegates from other countries. He expressed satisfaction over contributions made by Pakistani scientists and engineers despite limited resources and unforeseen difficulties.

He recalled that the first communication satellite of Pakistan ‘PAK SAT-1R’ had provided the basis for this progress and hoped that the Remote Sensing Satellite, expected to be launched in the near future, would prove equally successful.

“This will quicken the pace of national development,” he said, adding, it was time to compensate for all the disadvantages and discrimination that had been meted out to Muslim world.

The president said this needs to be avoided in future by achieving self-sufficiency in all fields of education.

He congratulated Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), Strategic Plans Division and related institutions on organising the international conference on the topic of space research and development. He said such conferences and seminars played an important role in training students and young scientists and in raising their intellectuality in the contemporary world.

Earlier, President Mamnoon took a tour of the international space exhibition held on the premises of Comstech and appreciated the projects displayed by different countries.

General Strategic Plans Division Director Lieutenant General Mazhar Jamil and Suparco Chairperson Qaiser Anis Khurram were also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2016.