July-August, 2009 Energy, employment generation Government's top priority Planning Commission to benefit from PAEC Technical Facilities: Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, addressing the inaugural session of the seminar. Sitting (L to R) Mr. Muhammad Naeem, Director, PWI, Dr. Ansar Parvez, Chairman, PAEC, Mr. Waqar Murtaza Butt, Member (Engineering), PAEC and Mr. Abdul Hai, D.G. (SES) at the inaugural session of 3rd National Seminar on “ Welding Science and Technology ” . Poverty alleviation is possible only Energy generation is also the top Excellence deserves all praise for this through skill-based employment priority and the government is focusing historical endeavor, Sardar Aseff generation at grass root levels and for on all avenues of electricity generation AhmadAli said. this purpose, Planning Commission including nuclear, hydel and other The joblessness of the youth is an would support setting up training renewable resources. Energy explosive issue deserving centres at district levels in the country production utilizing the huge deposits government's utmost attention as in the for skills generation to the masses, of local coal is an attractive source and Planning Commission is venturing into absence of channels of skill-based which will enable them get jobs not only a pilot project for its use in electricity learning and avenues of earning, they within the country but abroad as well. production. Upon the success of this are vulnerable to all forms of extremes. The idea behind putting up technical This was stated by Deputy Chairman, pilot project, it will be handed over to the training centres at district levels is to Planning Commission, Sardar Aseff Provinces/respective ministries for putting up large size coal-based provide them job chances within and Ahmad Ali while addressing the projects. outside the country. These training inaugural session of National Seminar Pakistan's Nuclear Programme has centres will impart them specialized on Welding Science and Technology been a successful deterrence and it is skills for their absorption in technical organized by Pakistan Atomic Energy fully backed by the nation and reflects job market. For this purpose, reservoir th Commission on 10 August 2009. its aspirations. PAEC as Centre of of technical facilities with Pakistan 1 Atomic Energy Commission may be utilized. Addressing the PAEC Scientists and Engineers, he uttered in a lighter vein “You do welding to join materials for fabrications while we at political level join the people together for the strength and glory of the nation”. About government efforts in producing hydel electricity, he said Bhasha Dam is underway. This project worth $12 billions will be completed within ten years. Similarly, Bunji run-off-the-river project will soon be initiated. Together, the two will generate 10,000 MWe. On Nuclear Power Plants, he said, Pakistan would welcome a civil nuclear Dr. Ansar Parvez, Chairman, PAEC presenting souvenir to Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali, Deputy Chairman, deal with USA similar to the one offered Planning Commission. to India. Earlier in his welcome address, “PAEC has contributed to the human needs of PAEC Programme, is now Chairman, PAEC, Dr. Ansar Parvez resource development of the country contributing at the national level by said “Right now we have two power by setting up a number of educational offering training and certification to the plants operating and one under and training centers”, Chairman, PAEC personnel from industry and academia. construction which will start production stated. In this connection, it has offered 117 in early 2011. With the support of the such training courses imparting Earlier in his introductory remarks, government, we plan to add many more essential training in high-tech welding Muhammad Naeem, Director of plants in the future”. to as many as 1720 personnel and by PAEC's Pakistan Welding Institute virtue of these services, it is actively “Pakistan was subjected to many informed that the Institute which was engaged in industrial uplift of the embargoes to force the country to basically envisaged for the fabrication country. compromise on our defense but our nation did not yield and our Nuclear Programme could not be derailed. In some ways the embargoes helped us as PAEC ended up establishing its own network of R&D centres, Engineering Workshops and associated fuel cycle technologies”, Chairman, PAEC told. “PAEC has been active in socio- economic sector and has built 13 cancer hospitals, where more than 350,000 patients are treated annually, most of them free of cost. We have been contributing to the agricultural sector by developing new crops and have carried out model projects to set the roadmap for implementing it at the broader national scale. Saline Agricultural and Farmers Participatory A view of the participants of the inaugural session of the seminar. Programmes are typical examples”, (First Row) Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, Advisor to Planning Commission on S&T, Mr. Parvez Butt, Member (Energy), Dr.Ansar Parvez added. Planning Commission , Mr. Ghulam Nabi, Member (Tech), PAEC, Mr. Mansoor Ali Sheikh, Member (Finance), PAEC and Mr. Muhammad Naeem, Member (Fuel Cycle), PAEC. 2 PAEC popularizing science among youth, sponsors young Pakistani Scientists meet Nobel Laureates in Germany The programme initiated by PAEC for the Interaction of Young Pakistani Scientists with Nobel Laureates as a Joint Venture with HEC is successfully underway. Since 2003, seven groups of talented science graduates have attended the annual meetings of Nobel Prize Winners in Germany. This year, the meeting was in the field of Chemistry. Applications of students with baseline of throughout First Division were invited from all universities/institutes where research in the field of Chemistry was carried out. About 90 applications were received from different institutions as well as individuals. According to a preset merit criterion, 25 persons were short listed on merit. These candidates were interviewed by a selection board comprising of experienced professors, senior scientists and subject specialists. Finally ten young researchers were selected from all over the country to attend the 59th Meeting Pakistani participants at the Conference Hall in Lindau, Germany. of Nobel Laureates in Lindau, Germany from June 28- July 3, 2009. Due to large Operations and Planning HEC, Dr. countries including 93 from USA, 27 number of applications from all around Shaukat Hameed Khan, Member from China and 43 from India. The the world, this time the Council of Nobel Planning Commission, Dr. M. Aslam, technical programme started on the Laureates Meetings in Germany Rector PIEAS, Dr. Imtinan Elahi morning of 29th June. Formal lectures of accepted the following six graduates Qureshi, Executive Director Laureates were held in the morning from Pakistan. COMSATS, Prof. G.A. Miana, Dean session followed by a panel discussion Sciences, Ripha International among five laureates. The afternoon H Dr. Zahid Shafiq, Bahauddin University, Prof. Sakhawat Shah, was devoted to question/answer Zakariya University, Multan Chairman Chemistry Department, sessions and face-to-face discussions H Mr. Muhammad Imran, Punjab Quaid-i-Azam University, Prof. among the Laureates and young University, Lahore Mahmud-ul-Hassan Butt, Vice scholars. Same pattern was followed H Chancellor, Allama Iqbal Open for four days. On the last day of the Ms. Amina Asghar, Government University, Ms. Katharina Lack, Head meeting, all the participants and College University, Lahore Cultural Section, German Embassy, Laureates took a cruise to the Island of H Ms. Faroha Liaqat, Quaid-e-Azam Islamabad, Dr. N. M. Butt, Country Mainau for the closing ceremony. University, Islamabad Representative of Lindau Council and H Ms. Farhat Huma, NESCOM, Mr. Waqar A. Butt, Project Coordinator After the meeting in Lindau, the group Islamabad addressed the candidates. A few went to Mainz on 5th July and visited two H participants of previous Lindau research centres; the prestigious Max Ms. Humaira Seema, Peshawar Meetings were also invited for sharing University, Peshawar Planks Institute of Chemistry and the their experience. Mrs. Ina Lepel, University of Mainz. This university has Deputy Head of Mission, German more than 35,000 students in different Embassy hosted a reception for the disciplines. The participants also Before leaving for Germany, a two days Organizing Committee as well as the attended four seminars at the Institute Orientation Camp was organized on selected students. of Science and Technology which were 24-25 June, 2009 in Islamabad for delivered by Ph.D/Post-Doc students informal guidance of the selected With this preparation the group left for of Prof. Hans Jurgen Butt; the Director candidates. In that camp, eminent Germany on 26th June. The opening of the Max Planks Institute who scientists/professors like Dr. Ishfaq ceremony was held on 28th June at arranged this visit. Another Chemist, Ahmad, Former Chairman, PAEC, Inselhalle; the Congress Hall in the Dr. Michael Kappl coordinated the visit Dr. Ansar Parvez, Chairman, PAEC, Island of Lindau. Countess Bettina to various laboratories in the institute. Dr. Shoaib Ahmed, Member (Physical Bernadotte, the President of the The research was mainly oriented Sciences) PAEC, Dr. S. Sohail H. Council opened the Meeting and towards polymer science and nano- Naqvi, Executive Director HEC, welcomed 23 Nobel Laureates as well biotechnology. Our students were Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Member as 580 young researchers from 67 asked to submit research proposals to 3 relevant professors in case they were researchers at different universities/ the researchers in well-established interested to do research there. It was research institutes in the country to laboratories in Germany will go a long indicated that lot of funds are available prepare good proposals and submit to way for scientific collaboration which as research grants and any one from respective institutes as lot of funds are may lead to high quality human resource any country can avail these available with these universities/ opportunities. One of the group research institutes. Ph.D.