Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) AS-ICTP: 50 Years of Science for the Future – Views from Islamabad Edited by: I.E. Qureshi Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) AS-ICTP: 50 Years of Science for the Future – Views from Islamabad Published: September 2015 Editor and Publisher: Dr. I.E. Qureshi Editorial Committee: Dr. Arshad Saleem Bhatti, Mr. Irfan Hayee and Ms. Farhana Saleem Composed by: Mr. Imran Chaudhry Copyright: COMSATS Headquarters All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any way without the written permission of the publisher. Copies of this book may be ordered from : COMSATS Headquarters 4th Floor, Shahrah-e-Jamhuriat Sector G-5/2, Islamabad, Pakistan Email: [email protected] Website: www.comsats.org Ph: (+92-51) 9214515-7 Fax: (+92-51) 9216539 Price: US$ 10 or equivalent Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) AS-ICTP: 50 Years of Science for the Future – Views from Islamabad TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD i PREFACE iii CHRONOLOGY OF KEY EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF ICTP 01 PROFILES OF ICTP DIRECTORS 07 GLIMPSES OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS AT 11 AS-ICTP, ITALY ICTP IN THE WORDS OF SALAM 15 1. ICTP: A Personal Perspective 21 - Fayyazuddin 2. Role of ICTP in Shaping My Research Career 29 - N. M. Butt 3. Lasting Legacy of Salam – AS-ICTP 45 - Ghulam Murtaza 4. My Association with the AS-ICTP 57 - Abdullah Sadiq 5. “Salam’s Centre” and What it Meant to Me 67 - Asghar Qadir 6. 50 Years of AS-ICTP – Some Reminiscences 73 - M. Zafar Iqbal GLIMPSES OF THE ICTP 50TH ANNIVERSARY CEREMONY 83 HELD AT CIIT, PAKISTAN 7. The Way I Saw ICTP and Prof. Abdus Salam 91 - M. Aslam Baig 8. AS-ICTP as Seen by a Mathematician 105 - Saleem Asghar 9. Role of AS-ICTP in Development of Science and Technology 109 in Pakistan during the Last 50 Years - Hamid Saleem 10. My Scientific and Academic Growth as an Experimental 117 Physicist: Inspirations from ICTP - Arshad Saleem Bhatti 11. Personal Recollections of ICTP and Recommendations for 123 Students - Kashif Sabeeh 12. My ICTP Experience 131 - Jamila Bashir Butt 13. The ICTP and Beyond 137 - I.E. Qureshi ABOUT THE AUTHORS 153 FOREWORD The major part of this collage of articles is based on personal reminiscences of some very senior and some relatively younger Pakistani scientists living in Islamabad, who had been associated with ICTP at various stages of their careers in Physics and Mathematics. They got together in COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Islamabad campus, on 18th October 2014, at the invitation of COMSATS and ICTP-Pakistan Chapter to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (AS-ICTP). More than 100 participants comprising of ICTP Associates, CIIT faculty members, and Physics students of the university, were present on the occasion. Some of those attending the meeting were earlier invited by ICTP to participate in the mega event of its golden jubilee held in Trieste from 6th to 9 th October 2014, but were unable to do so due to issues of travel arrangements. The ICTP alumni did not want to let this auspicious occasion slip away without any activity in Islamabad. COMSATS Headquarters took upon itself not only to hold a dignified ceremony, where some of the closest associates of Prof. Abdus Salam could pay their homage to ICTP and its founder, but also made the event more special by web-launching of the Urdu i translation of an ICTP publication entitled, ‘One Hundred Reasons to be a Scientist’. The publication of the proceedings was not envisaged initially. However, after the speeches were made and memorable pictures shared with the audience during the event, it was very clear that this gathering has a special significance. Hoping that a compilation of the memories and observations about ICTP made by the learned speakers would be a valuable addition to the existing records, essays and books about ICTP and its founder, it was decided to publish the views and impressions from the capital of Salam’s homeland. In order to increase the utility of this publication, some additional data, pictures, historical documents and selected excerpts from other publications have been added for the benefit of readers. The transcripts of all original articles were carefully edited by the Editorial Committee, and vetted by the authors, while published material has been reproduced after due authorization. The inclusion of a Preface by the incumbent Director ICTP, Prof. Fernando Quevedo, no doubt, has enhanced the value of the book. On behalf of COMSATS, it is my pleasure to thank the distinguished contributors of articles and all others who have provided support for this initiative. My special thanks are due to the Public Information Officer of ICTP, who provided invaluable support by sharing some historical pictures of scientific activities held in Trieste. It is sincerely hoped that the readers would find this collection of articles interesting and informative. Dr. I. E. Qureshi Executive Director COMSATS ii PREFACE In 2014, ICTP celebrated 50 years of a unique institution that over the years has become more and more relevant to the needs of our planet and its inhabitants, for science as a key component of our culture, science for development and as one of the most effective means of our survival: Science for the Future. ICTP's founding fathers, particularly the Pakistani Nobel Laureate Abdus Salam and his visionary partner, the Italian physicist Paolo Budinich, had a dream more than 50 years ago, to create an institution that can bring scientific excellence to all corners of the world, to use the universal language of science to unite its people in a perfect example of what nowadays is called "science diplomacy" and to raise the awareness of the importance of science worldwide. They managed to turn this dream into a reality and it has been an honour for me during the past five years to contribute to keep this dream alive. Our path in the last 50 years has not been an easy one. The Centre would not be here to celebrate its 50th anniversary without the generous and continuous support of the Government of Italy as well as the IAEA and UNESCO. It is in this way that ICTP has succeeded iii to remain faithful to its mandate and to adapt itself to the changing percentage of women at ICTP in all roles. Related projects would world of science and technology. include improving outreach, making facilities more accommodating to women, encouraging networks among ICTP By now many people and world leaders are aware of the importance women, and increasing the number of women in leadership of science for our future. At ICTP, we strongly believe that the most positions within ICTP and in the Scientific Council. important components of the scientific endeavour are the scientists themselves. They need to be continuously educated and supported 2. ICTP Ambassadors throughout their whole research career for the benefit of their countries and society in general. As such, ICTP is the prime scientific This programme seeks to engage postdocs, professors on break, and research institution of UNESCO. retired professors from any institution in the world who would be willing to participate in ICTP activities in the developing world in ICTP's 50th Anniversary also marks the transition from my first to order to share their knowledge and skills by, for instance, teaching second mandates as Director of ICTP, and it is the perfect classes or initiating research collaborations. Collaboration with opportunity to summarize the developments of the past five years other organizations such as universities could help to implement the with a critical view on achievements and challenges. We are proud of programme and finance travel expenses associated with it. Potential the progress we have made in the past few years in response to the involvement to cooperate with the International Astronomy Union current scientific developments and demands from developing and the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) in order to promote countries. We have initiated new ambitious programmes such as the Astronomy studies in Africa will also be explored. opening of regional partner institutions worldwide; new research areas in quantitative life sciences and renewable energies; 3. High-School and Undergraduate Teacher Training substantial developments in high performance computing; new educational programmes such as the joint ICTP/SISSA Ph.D. and An important part of ICTP’s support of science in the developing master programmes and the joint ICTP/IAEA/University of Trieste world involves motivating young people who are interested in master in medical physics. This concrete progress and expansion science, helping to keep them in the field by helping to outline a has been achieved without an increase in the budget of the future for them. Training of teachers by working scientists – institution and without sacrificing the commitment for excellence in especially for high-school teachers, but also for teachers at the all other ICTP programmes. undergraduate level – can have a huge influence on students, with teachers transmitting the excitement and creativity of the world of In addition to the initiatives mentioned above, ICTP plans to pursue science and attracting the brightest minds. Other ways of supporting three goals important to the institution’s ongoing mission: science students include offering specialized summer schools and research opportunities to undergraduates, as well as providing e- 1. Gender Issues learning and m-learning (learning apps for mobile devices) activities. ICTP will commence a concentrated effort to increase the iv v to remain faithful to its mandate and to adapt itself to the changing percentage of women at ICTP in all roles.