Pakistan Elected to the Chair of IAEA Board of Governors DG, SPD Visits
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September-October, 2010 Pakistan elected to the chair of DG, SPD visits PIEAS IAEA Board of Governors Lauds PAEC’s HRD Program Pakistan has been elected to the chair of the International Director General, Strategic Plans Division, Lieutenant Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors (BOG) General (Retd) Khalid Ahmed Kidwai visited Pakistan for the term 2010-2011, by acclamation. Dr. Ansar Parvez Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), a premier educational institute of Pakistan Atomic Energy Chairman, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission(PAEC) th will be the Chairman of the Board of Governors. Commission, on 8 October 2010. The Governor to IAEA Board from Pakistan, Dr. Ansar Parvez (center), Director G eneral , SPD , Lieutenant General (Retd) Khalid Ahmed Kidwai elected IAEA Board Chairman 2010 - 2011, at the start of the Board addressing the PIEAS students, faculty and Members of the PAEC at PIEAS meeting at the agency headquarters, Vienna, Austria, 27 September 2010. Auditorium. A detailed presentation regarding PIEAS academic The election was held during the first BOG meeting after programs and its infrastructure was made by Rector the Fifty-fourth IAEA Annual General Conference held in PIEAS, Dr. Muhammad Aslam to the honorable guest Vienna (Austria) from 20-24 September, 2010. followed by a comprehensive visit to the PIEAS laboratories and facilities. Pakistan has previously served as Chairman of the IAEA Board of Governors twice. Once in 1962-63, when Dr. I. H. A special get-to-gether of PIEAS students, faculty and Usmani was the Chairman, PAEC and the second time in Members of the Commission was arranged in the 1986-87 when Mr. Munir Ahmad Khan was the Chairman Auditorium where the guest was formally welcomed by Dr. Ansar Parvez, Chairman, PAEC. In his address, the PAEC. This is the third time that Pakistan is getting the Chairman stressed upon the arrangements to vigorously honour of serving as Chairman of the IAEA BOG where it promote university-industry liaison and asked all the will discharge its duties with impartiality, transparency and Members of the Commission to contribute to this initiative. professionalism to promote the work of the IAEA. DG, SPD, Lieutenant General (Retd) KhalidAhmed Kidwai Pakistan's election by acclamation is an acknowledgment congratulated Dr. Ansar Parvez on his election as of the positive advances it has made in the nuclear field Chairman, IAEA Board of Governors. He acknowledged and also a recognition of its active role in theAgency. that achieving this position certainly enhances the pride and respect of Pakistan world-wide, especially in the present difficult times. The Board is the executive organ of the Agency. It considers all major questions including applications for He expressed satisfaction over the historic role of PIEAS in membership and theAgency's program of work. delivering highly-qualified human resource to PAEC and other strategic organizations. He envisioned PIEAS to It approves the Agency's Annual Report and the budget transform into an internationally distinguished institution of under its own authority. The Board also approves all higher education. safeguards agreements, important projects, safety standards and technical assistance grants to Member He announced a grant of Rs.100 million for PIEAS Central Library, and vowed full support for PIEAS in its States. (ofStatement Dr. Ansar Parvez, head of Pakistani endeavours. delegation to 54th IAEA General Conference on P-3.) 1 PAEC Power Program In-house Seminar on Plant Life Management Group photo taken on the occasion of inauguration of the seminar with Mr. Zia ul Hasan Siddiqui, Member (Power),PAEC. Nuclear power plant life management (PLiM) has gained Technical Sessions, a visit to K-1 Plant and a visit to CIAL increased attention over the past decade and effective Test Rig and other facilities. In the Technical Sessions, total ageing management of systems, structures and 31 papers were presented. To follow-up the suggestions components (SSCs) has now become a key element in made in the seminar a PLiM working group will be formed PLiM for the safe, reliable and economic long term with relevant persons from the NPPs and convened by operation of nuclear power plants. In this context, a four- DNPO in future. day seminar on Plant Life Management (PLiM) was jointly organized by KANUPP-1 and Directorate of Nuclear Power Operations (DNPO) on 20-23 September 2010 at KANUPP site. Honour for PAEC Scientist This was first of a series of in-house seminars to be held at the different nuclear power plants belonging to PAEC Dr. Mehboob-ur-Rehman, Principal Scientist, NIBGE Power Program. The idea of holding such seminars locally Faisalabad has been awarded Lahore Chamber of was initiated by DNPO and supported by Member (Power), Commerce & Industry (LCCI) Scientist Achievement to provide a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas, Award-2010 along with a cash prize of Rs.0.50 million experience and good practices between NP program (Sponsored by Guard Agricultural Research & Services) personnel and to increase mutual understanding of the which was awarded to him by the Honorable Prime problems of our NPPs. Minister of Pakistan on September 18, 2010. His group has bred several cotton lines (NIBGE-115 and NN-3 etc.) The seminar which drew participants from across the including one approved cotton variety NIBGE-2 using DNA various nuclear power plants and projects of PAEC, aimed based marker assisted selection. The material (NIBGE- at the fulfillment of the following objectives: 115 and NN-3) developed by this group has been declared the most tolerant to "Burewala Virus Disease" by various 1. Role of PLiM Program was emphasized to assure public agencies. This material was transferred to other safe, reliable, and economical operation of present organizations for using in cotton breeding programs. His and future nuclear power plants of PAEC Power group has been instrumental for breeding biotech cotton Program. varieties usingBt gene (Mon-531). All these efforts led to 2. The seminar provided a forum for information the development of two Bt cotton cultivars such as IR- exchange between the NPPs of PAEC and to share NIBGE-3701 and IRNIBGE-1524 which have been strategies in ageing management and PLiM approved on 31st March 2010; and two new IR cotton lines programs. IR-901 and IR-NIBGE-3 are being tested in national trials. 3. It helped in identification of progress on ageing He has also published several research articles in management and PLiM processes at the two prestigious journals including. Nature, Plant Physiology, operating nuclear power plants. Plant Pathology, Crop Sciences. Moreover, he has The seminar was attended by engineers and scientists published two chapters in books published by Springer from K-1, K-2, C-1 and C-2. The seminar comprised six Publisher. His total IF is ~72. 2 Chairman, PAEC Dr. Ansar Parvez addresses 54th IAEA General Conference as head of Pakistan Delegation Urges equitable and non-discriminatory assistance to member states for peaceful applications of nuclear technology Pakistan actively engaged in nuclear safety and security activities with the world PAEC to install 8800 MW of nuclear by 2030 PAEC utilizing nuclear technology in the fields of agriculture, health and industry Addressing the 54th IAEA General Conference, Dr. Ansar reactor operation experience and a technical and Parvez, Chairman, PAEC and head of Pakistani engineering infrastructure to maintain and provide delegation, urged the IAEA to continue to maintain its technical support to these plants, he added. principle-based role to assist its member states on In addition to nuclear power, Pakistan has also focused on equitable and non-discriminatory basis in line with the applications of ionizing radiation and radioisotopes in the Agency's Mission Statement, i.e., realization of the right of fields of health, agriculture and industry. The Pakistan every state to the peaceful applications of nuclear Atomic Energy Commission currently manages 14 nuclear technology, particularly nuclear power generation. medical centers across the country. These centers cater to The 54th IAEA General Conference is remained in session around half a million patients every year most of them free from September 20-24 at Vienna,Austria. of cost. Another four centers are under-construction, the PAEC chief stated. Striking a balance between its role as the promoter of nuclear energy and its responsibility as the nuclear Using its research reactor, Pakistan Atomic Energy watchdog is indeed a challenge faced by the IAEA Commission indigenously produces most of the particularly in the wake of large number of aspirant radioisotopes required for medical purposes. A countries, Dr.Ansar Parvez stated. Molybdenum production facility has recently been commissioned. This facility will not only meet the Pakistan has established a strong and independent safety requirements of the country's nuclear medical centers and and security infrastructure, including the establishment of hospitals, but will also have spare capacity for export to an independent regulatory authority, the Pakistan Nuclear other countries, Dr. Parvez told. RegulatoryAuthority (PNRA), in the year 2000. Pakistan is a party to several international conventions and actively With a sizeable nuclear power program, a well-trained participates in the nuclear safety and security activities pool of experts and decades of experience in the areas of and programs of the Agency, including the Nuclear