Govt increases Science, Tech development budget by 600pc: Fawad

• He informed the participants that the government also is prioritizing the education at school and college level.
• This science conference is not only about quality and excellence but also about friendship and cooperation between many nations.
• Around 600 percent increase in the budget of science and technology showed the sincerity of the government towards science and research.

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Hussain Chaudhry said on Monday that Science and Technology Ministry had made a 600 percent increase in its development budget.

Pakistan is heading towards the manufacturing of solar and lithium batteries, as Chinese companies ready to set up solar energy plants in Pakistan, this he said while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of a four-day 7th International Symposium-Cum-Training Course on Molecular Medicine and Drug Research, organized here by Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD), University of Karachi (UoK). Over 700 scientists, including 100 scientists from 35 countries, including Turkey, Iran, Iraq, China, Egypt, Syria, Italy, Nigeria, Greece, USA, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Sweden, New Zealand, Hungry, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, Sudan, Thailand, Oman, Cameron, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal are attending the 4-day international event. Vice-Chancellor University of Karachi Prof. Dr. Khalid Mehmood Iraqi, Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman, Chairman, Prime Minister's National Task Force on Science and Technology, Chairperson Dr. Panjwani Memorial Trust Ms. Nadira Panjwani, Chairman Husein Ebrahim Jamal Foundation Mr. Aziz Latif Jamal, Director ICCBS Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, French scholar Prof. Dr. Georges Massiot, Greek scientist Prof. Dr. Ioannis P. Gerothanassis, German scientist Prof. Dr. Bertram Flehmig, and the Symposium Coordinator Dr. Asmat Salim also expressed their views in the inaugural ceremony. Fawad Chaudhry pointed out that science and education come first in the priorities of the government, as the Ministry of Science and Technology was going to create strong coordination among the country's best 15 research institutions for the promotion of science and research culture.

Around 600 percent increase in the budget of science and technology showed the sincerity of the government towards science and research.

He informed the participants that the government also is prioritizing the education at school and college level.

He also welcomed the large number of foreign delegates, and said that he was pleased to see a large number of foreign scientists participating in the prestigious symposium.

This major science event is indeed an important step forward towards a better understanding of diseases at the molecular level and towards developing safe and effective drugs against prevailing disorders, he added.

The university's Vice Chancellor, Prof. Khalid Iraqi said that there was a pressing need to prioritize training programs for our young scientists.

"We are confident that this international event will not only help in generating scientific interest in young scholars in extremely important field healthcare research, but also foster productive linkages between the scientists beyond the national boundaries."

He mentioned that the focus of this event is on the understanding of the diseases process at the molecular level and development of new therapies against a group of diseases which truly effecting the human race in a most profound manner.

He observed that chronic diseases such as Diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, cardiovascular and neurological disorders, as well as widespread infectious diseases are global menace, for which humanity has failed to develop successful treatments and preventive strategies.

This spectacular failure of science and technology demands both new approaches and fresh looks to old wisdom.

He mentioned that this event will cover various aspects of the subject with complete authority, including the understanding of the disease at the molecular level, identification of new drug targets, scientific evaluation of folk remedies, best practices in the management of diabetes by natural products, and preclinical and clinical studies on plant based antidiabetic medicines. Prof. Atta-ur-Rahman said that science was about building bridges between the countries.

This science conference is not only about quality and excellence but also about friendship and cooperation between many nations.

Talking about the government's current initiatives in science and technology, he said that two billion rupees had been approved for two ministries.

As many as 27 mega projects have been initiated to foster science, research and education in the country.

These government projects will help the nation in harnessing the benefits of modern science. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary, Director, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) University of Karachi (UoK) said that ICCBS was one of the premier research establishments in the developing world.

Its reputation for scientific research and training extends far beyond the country's borders, he said.

Nadira Panjwani welcomed the participants to the MMDR-7, said that the Dr. Panjwani center initiated a number of scientific programs with the objective to find possible treatments of often neglected and prevalent diseases of Pakistan, as well as associated human resource development.

The main objective of the Center is to train highly qualified manpower in the emerging new fields of molecular medicine and drug development, she said, adding that the center owned over 150 young research scholars registered in M.Phil. and Ph.D. program, she said.

The Center has a number of research wing and other facilities, including the Center for Bioequivalence and Clinical Research (CBSCR), Jamil-ur-Rahman Center for Genomics, Forensic DNA and Serology Laboratory, national center for virology, and a national facility for the animal house, etc., she maintained.

Aziz Latif Jamal said that the organization of such prestigious science events was extremely important in not only connecting Pakistan's scientific community to the rest of the world, but also in show-casing the scientific research conducted in Pakistan.

In the end, Dr. Asmat Salim presented a vote of thanks.