Science conference: Scientists share knowledge with young researchers, students

Participants include more than 25 foreign scientists.

ISLAMABAD:

Over 25 scientists from four continents gathered in the federal capital on Monday to talk science with young Pakistani researchers, students and scientists.

Over the next five days, these scientists will share their knowledge and research with each other at the sixth annual International Scientific Spring (ISS), organised by the National Centre for Physics (NCP) in collaboration with Italy’s Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP).

ISS 2014, being held on the NCP premises at Quaid-e-Azam University, hopes to promote strong interaction between local and foreign scientists, NCP Collaborations and Academic Activities Director Dr Riffat Mehmood Qureshi said. Through college-type lectures, presentations, video talks and discussion sessions, the ISS participants will go over areas of basic and applied physics including synchrotron radiations, nanotechnology and plasma physics.

Apart from Pakistani researchers, participants include some 25 scientists from universities in Algeria, China, Czech Republic, Italy, Russia, Iraq, Indonesia, Jordan, Egypt, Japan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, Philippines, the US and Turkey, according to the NCP.

Dr Joseph Niemela senior researcher and head of applied physics at the Abdus Salam ICTP Multidisciplinary Laboratory, said he was impressed by the active participation of young Pakistani researchers in the event.

“The ICTP is proud to be associated with the ISS 2014 and the ICTP and the NCP has very close relations,” Niemela said. “The ICTP has been playing an active role in promotion of science throughout the world for the past five decades and at this point, we should not forget the contributions of Pakistani scientist Dr Abdus Salam, who helped establish the ICTP in Italy.”

NCP Director-General Dr Hamid Saleem said that the NCP organised the first regional activity of the ICTP in Pakistan in November 2013 and the second regional activity will be held in August 2014.

He said this international collaboration was helping the NCP meet its goal to provide a free academic atmosphere to science students. Saleem said collaborative scientific research will help Pakistan train scientists that can help the country develop expertise in science and technology in the long run.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2014.