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BY: AHSAN JAMIL
STAFF REPORT ISB: The science popularization at various levels is mandatory for any country striving for sustainable development. In Pakistan, there are surreptitious efforts being made to promote SandT which are fairly insufficient in terms of the need. Skilled and proficient prodigy of SandT professionals can only be produced if threshold of the efforts is shifted towards bottom, middle, and higher tier of the country`s academia and the product will be potent to play its sizeable role in national development and pave the way for country`s prosperity.
Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) has number of paramount achievements to its credit in SandT popularization. Sensing the need of time, PSF inaugurated “High School Summer Science Research Programme (HSSSRP),” on June 09, 2015, in a bid to surface its resolve. The partner organization of inaugural ceremony was Pakistan Society for Computational Biology (PSCB). The participants from Intel, Pakistan and ECO Science Foundation also participated in the event.
Prof Dr Muhammad Ashraf, Chairman PSF graced the occasion as chief guest. He enthused young students and backed them for participation in science related activities. He also laid stress on inquiry based learning and also urged teachers community to embolden questioning among students as it was imperative.
Earlier, Dr. Muhammad Akram Sheikh, Member Science PSF addressed in inaugural session and gave brief introduction of the analogous motivational programmes for the students from the podium of PSF.
Dr Mahmood-ur-Rehaman Ansari General Secretary, PSCB, also spoke on the occasion and gave inspiring speech to students and highlighted the pivotal role of science in national development.
Prof Dr Bushra Mirza from Quaid-i-Azam University while speaking to the participants underscored the importance of event and its farfetched prospects. She also enumerated the objectives of the programme and registration process for the same. Prof Dr Bushra Mirza also said that purpose of HSSSRP was to promote science at school level and provide high school students practical research experience by engaging them in research projects with top class research scientists affiliated with public and private universities in different corners of Pakistan during summer vacations.
In the concluding session, the winners of HSSSRP-2014 were rewarded with certificates and shields as a token of appreciation. The winners included Minhaj Ansari (GIK), Asad Sulman, Muhammad Anas Ijaz, Basit Mahmood, and Talha Rehman; securing 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th position respectively. Registration of students for HSSSRP-2015 was also done. As many as 100 students and faculty members attended the event.
This programme is not only an effort to promote SandT at bottom level but also provides students an opportunity to interact with already established renowned scientists, exchange ideas and also practically engage themselves in research projects. This programme is also a light house for students giving them direction. Government must also facilitate and substantially enhance the funding of organizations endeavoring in SandT popularization and must also take private sector on board as well in order to drill deep into this venture and extract maximum potential for coming years.