A two-day international conference on 'Research, Development and Emerging Technologies' organised by Nust Institute of Information Technology (NIIT) in collaboration with Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Campus Consultancy Services, UK began at HEC Secretariat on Tuesday.
The main objective of the conference is to provide a forum to higher education faculty to share the best practices in research methodologies for their academic institutions to evolve into veritable centres of research excellence. The conference will also showcase key emerging technologies that will likely be the drivers of economic development in knowledge-based economies of the future. The speakers are acclaimed scholars in their areas of expertise representing premier academic institutions of the United Kingdom.
Professor Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, Chairman HEC/ Federal Minister/Adviser to Prime Minister on Science and Technology was chief guest at the inaugural ceremony. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Atta-ur-Rahman said that knowledge had become the key driver in the process of development. "Gone are the days when natural resources contributed to the development of nations. Now it is knowledge and knowledge alone that differentiates between developed and underdeveloped countries", he said.
He said that research, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship were the key words in the creation of sustained economic growth particularly amongst developing nations. "Fully alive to this fact, the government tasked HEC to spearhead a comprehensive campaign for building a knowledge- based economy as the engine of socio-economic development in Pakistan", he added.
The Chairman said that efforts were being made to uplift our institutions of higher learning and bring them at par with the international standards. "We are attracting the brightest minds of the nation to come forward and excel in learning and research. We are encouraging both individuals and institutions to play an effective role in the development of higher education in the country", he asserted.
Dr Atta-ur-Rahman described the various initiatives of HEC for improving higher education sector in Pakistan. He said that highly creative faculty was the key to a successful higher education system and the centre of HEC's efforts is, therefore, faculty development.
"Our faculty development programme consists of three parts. First of all, identifying the brightest and sending them abroad for higher studies in top institutions world-wide. In the last 18 months, 1,200 scholars have been placed at various institutions and another thousand will be sent abroad this year. Secondly, we are attracting qualified foreign faculty to work in Pakistani universities and some 500 have returned to Pakistan for long or short-term assignments. Thirdly, there is indigenous PhD programme for maximising the number of PhDs in higher education institutions but without compromising quality", he said.
He further said that a large number of linkages have been established with reputed foreign universities, fifty such linkages with British universities, with a purpose to enhance the standards of local universities. He also mentioned HEC's effort for development of IT infrastructure for higher education institutions.
Dr Atta-ur-Rahman told the audience that there was a sharp increase in research activities in the past couple of years. "In the last four years, there is 360 percent growth in Pakistani publications in internationally recognised journals", he said.
He appreciated the NIIT for organising this international conference on research, development and emerging technologies. "It is heartening to see that there is a growing realisation among our academics for importance of research culture in the universities and such events really prove stimulating in this regard", he said.
Earlier, Professor Dr Arshad Ali, Director General, in his welcome address, thanked the Higher Education Commission and Campus Consultancy Services, UK for organising the workshop. He appreciated the efforts of HEC in promoting an enabling and supporting environment for research in the country.
Lieutenant General Syed Shujaat Hussain (Retd), Rector Nust was also present at the occasion. The conference will continue till Wednesday evening wherein different experts, including 13 scholars from UK, will give presentations on different dimensions of the subject topic.
The conference speakers include Professor Jeremy Allam, Professor of Ultra fast Opto-electronics, University of Surrey; Professor John Taylor, Education Management, University of Southampton; Professor Dr Arshad Ali, Director General, Nust Institute of Information Technology; Dr Des McLernon, Electrical and Electronics Department, University of Leeds; Professor Tony Griffiths, Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environmental Management, School of Engineering, Cardiff University; Professor Keith Williams, Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environmental Management.
Cardiff University; Professor John Hancock, Dean of Engineering, University of Glasgow; Dr David Hugh Nash, Vice Dean, School of Engineering, University of Strathclyde; Dr Fayyaz Memon, Department of Engineering, University of Exeter; Dr Ihtesham Ur Rehman, Reader in Biomedical Materials, Queen Mary, University of London; Dr Chris Edwards, Control and Instrumentation group, Dept. of Engineering, University of Leicester; Professor Javaid Rehman, Professor of law and Director of Research, Brunel University.