Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Mr. Ahsan Iqbal addressed at the Inaugural Session of National Centre for Physics’ International Scientific School, Quaid-e-Azam University Campus. honorable scientists from different countries, students and academia were also in attendance.
Federal Minister said that physics and mathematics brought more change to the world than any other discipline.
Minister said that brilliant physicists such as Albert Einstein contributed a lot, his famous equation E=mc2 changed the way we thought of our material reality. Minister appreciated the sincere efforts of Dr. Abdus Salam, Minister maintained that Dr Abdus Salam (who also happens to be an alumnus of Punjab University) worked on electromagnetic theory, nuclear and particle physics and gained global recognition.
He mentioned another pride for Pakistan, Nergis Mavalvala, a Pakistani scientist working at MIT, was among a team of scientists who went on to discover gravitational waves. This discovery is being hailed as a major milestone in the scientific community.
Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal highlighted the significance of Physics and said that physics lays the foundational work for many other fields and disciplines. He maintained that physics contributes to the technological infrastructure and produce trained personnel needed to take advantage of scientific advances and discoveries.
He said that everything from space exploration to underground drilling is possible due to our knowledge of physics. He maintained that physics is vital for any nation that wants itself to be at the cutting edge of science and technology. The main objective of this National Centre of Physics (NCP) is to raise the standard of Physics at par with international norms of productivity and originality, and to act as an entity for acquisition, generation, transmission and dissemination of knowledge in frontiers of physics for Universities and Research and Development (R&D) organizations.
Minister said that NCP endeavors to break the isolation of Pakistani physicists by offering them the opportunity to work with world class scientists who are invited to lecture and also to participate in the Centre’s research activities on a regular basis. He said that science and technology are key drivers to development, because technological and scientific revolutions underpin economic advances, improvements in health systems, education and infrastructure. The extent to which developing economies emerge as economic powerhouses depends on their ability to grasp and apply insights from science and technology
Minister maintained that innovation is the primary driver of technological growth and drives higher living standards. As an engine of growth, the potential of technology is endless, and still largely untapped in developing world regions across the globe.
Ahsan Iqbal said that in this technological world, what counts is the ability to use knowledge intelligently. He maintained that knowledge is the systemically integrated information that allows a citizen, a worker, a manager, or a finance minister to act purposefully and intelligently in a complex and demanding world. The only form of investment that allows for increasing returns in building the stocks and flows of knowledge that a country or organization needs in encouraging new insights and techniques.
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