Estb. 1882

University of the Punjab

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Need to amend comprehension of knowledge: PU VC
Need to amend comprehension of knowledge: PU VC


LAHORE: (Wednesday, March 2, 2016): Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran has said that knowledge was a must for any nation for surviving with respect in the world and there is need to amend comprehension of knowledge and knowledge means knowledge of nature. He was addressing the “5th Invention to Innovation Summit 2016” of Punjab University Office of Research Innovation & Commercialization (ORIC) at Al-Razi Hall here on Wednesday. Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation Dr Muhammad Ashraf, University of Management & Technology Rector Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad, Institute of Research Promotion CEO Abid Sherwani, ORIC Director Dr Aamir Ijaz, faculty members, research scholars from various universities and a large number of students participated in the summit.

Addressing the ceremony, Dr Mujahid Kamran said that hat the great nations were under the control of world’s financial elite because of concentration of wealth while around 1.5 billion Muslims of the world had almost no share in creation of new knowledge and these were the two problems the world was facing. He said that Pakistan was the only nuclear power of Islamic world and it had a strong Army. He said that the average spending of the world on education was 5 percent of GDP while Pakistan was spending less than 2 percent on education. He said that the United States had the GDP of 17 trillion dollars and was spending from 850 to 1000 billion dollars on education while it was spending from 340 to 510 billion dollars on research and development. While Pakistan’s total GDP was around 250 billion dollars while it was spending around 0.2 percent on R&D and less than 2 percent on education. Addressing the ceremony, Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation Dr Muhammad Ashraf said that technology was the engine of economy and PSF was funding applied scientific projects. He said that we wanted to support and highlight talent of young scientists. He said that PSF would provide scholarships to 300 schoolchildren who wanted to become scientists and this project would be enhanced further. He said that PSF had expedited funding process of scientific projects.

Institute for Research Promotion’s Chief Executive Officer Mr Abid Sherwani said that the idea of organizing invention to innovation summit was being implemented successfully since 5 years and we were thankful for support of Dr Mujahid Kamran, Pakistan Science Foundation, industry, academia and other institutions. He said that as many as 100 industrial, academic and research institutions were participating in the summit and 500 indigenous technologies had been put on display while there were 100 such projects which could be adopted by the industry. He said that more than one thousand researchers, scientists, students, industrialists are part of this summit. Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad said that it was the biggest national event of its kind in Pakistan and it would be made an international event soon. He said that the government should adopt policies to fund maximum projects of research and development. He said that the country must not be used just like a bridge after construction of China Pakistan Economic Corridor but we must sell and promote indigenous products and technologies to the foreign countries. He said that Pakistani nation had the capacity to surprise the world. Dr Amir Ejaz said that the summit will provide an opportunity to network with other stakeholders, get solutions to business problems, plan new ideas and get R&D projects facilitated, funded and commercialized. He said about 30 + awards and shields will be given to the scientists and researchers for their innovative products, projects and ideas.

Later, PU VC Dr Mujahid Kamran and Pakistan Science Foundation Chairman Dr Muhammad Ashraf inaugurated the exhibition of indigenous technologies set up at Corridor of Department of Zoology and Botany. The VC and the chairman visited the stalls where he was briefed about indigenous technologies and innovations by Pakistani scientists and researchers.