National Science Day (29 January, 2021)
Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS) celebrated “National Science Day (NSD)” for the first time on January 29, 2021. Prof. Dr. Tasawar Hayat, Secretary General PAS, started the event and welcomed all the guests. Prof. Khalid Mahmood Khan, President PAS, welcomed all the distinguished guests and speakers. He appreciated all the scientists, fellows, and students for attending the event physically or virtually. He informed that the first NSD was dedicated to the achievements and contributions of Dr. Abdus Salam, the first Nobel Laureate of the Islamic World. PAS will continue withholding these high-level conferences in the coming years and would invite a larger number of participants. Each event will be dedicated to a distinguished scientist of Pakistan.
Major (Retd.) Dr. Malik Qaiser Majeed, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, was the Chief Guest of this event. In his remarks, he expressed gratitude for having been invited as Chief Guest. He threw a brief light on the contributions of the Ministry for the promotion of Science, Technology, Innovation, policy formulation, capacity building, and popularization of science in Pakistan. He further added that such events, including World Science Day, are also celebrated by, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and MOST–PAS can join hands for future activities.
Three talks were delivered by Fellows of the PAS: Prof. Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad (VC Gomal University) talked on “Growing shadows of uncertainties in Higher Education Sector of Pakistan”, Prof. Dr. Hafeez-ur-Rehman Hoorani (Director-General, National Centre for Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU)) spoke on “Unification of fundamental forces”, and Prof. Dr. Ghulam Murtaza (Emeritus Professor of Physics at QAU) delivered an engaging talk on “Abdus Salam–Journey from Jhang to Royal Palace Stockholm”.
In the end, Prof. Dr. Tasawar Hayat, Secretary General PAS, thanked the invited speakers for their impressive presentations and the attendees for taking time out of their busy schedules. He informed that NSD will be a permanent feature of PAS activities in the future. The idea behind this event is to popularize science in Pakistan through lectures and seminars from the platform of PAS, as well as to provide opportunities for scholars and scientists to interact.