DICE exhibition comes to city

Event hosts innovative health and creative arts programmes

KARACHI: Karachi Expo Centre played host to the Distinguished Innovation, Collaboration and Entrepreneurship (DICE) creative arts and health programmes on Friday in order to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.

Arts programme

Many notable personalities from the media and entertainment industries pledged to support the DICE creative arts programme in order to promote art in the city.

Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad, an American film director and founder of Exxodus Pictures, said, "While I was growing up in the United States, I was told by people that though you may have a dream to make movies, you will never be able to achieve your dream; because those white people are never going to give you a chance". However, it was these American people who came to his aid, sometimes more quickly than others, he said.

"From Islamabad to Karachi, I have come across an astonishing amount of people who have great potential. There is nothing but potential in young Pakistanis," he said.

Ahmad announced the establishment of CAMP, which is a Creative Arts and Media Platform, a think tank that will work towards capacity building.

"At the end of the day we want to change the DNA of Pakistani youth and bring about innovation," said DICE founder Khursheed Qureshi. He said DICE should be a model for other Muslim countries but for now, "Pakistan is only trying to understand arts, once understood we will become a nation, for now we are only a crowd".

"Planning must happen, for we live in a global village. Performing arts requires a kind of madness and a strong burning passion within to do the very best," said actor Talat Hussain.

"Forgetting our self-respect, we still run after the Indian films to be screened in our cinema houses. Why can't we see and enjoy Iranian, Chinese, Japanese or Turkish films, which provide greater insight than the Indian ones?" asked Hussain.

Health programme

A large number of medical students flocked to the Expo Centre to visit the second All Pakistan Dice Health Innovation Exhibition where different medical equipment manufacturers had set up stalls.

DICE chairperson Professor Rana Qamar told The Express Tribune that the idea behind the event is to motivate the members of the academia, industry, government, entrepreneurs and expatriates to come on a common platform to showcase health innovations and technology, share knowledge and collaborate with each other for the rapid development of health products.

She said that through DICE they are providing students a platform to learn about health equipment and how to enhance their abilities.

Muhammad Jibran set up a stall showcasing exercise machinery specially made for cardiac patients. He explained that this machinery is used by patients with heart problems after treatment in order to normalise their stamina in order to help maintain a daily routine. Jibran added that his products are comparatively cheaper than the imported machines.

Dow University of Health Sciences vice-chancellor Masood Hameed Khan said that the objective of organising the event was to foster the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country and make it part of the nation's DNA.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2016.