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By Ahsan Jamil
THE SCIENTIFIC development is crucial for socio-economic development of the country and its promotion and popularization is necessary to be amplified at full throttle in order to maximize the potentials of the country and yield sustianable results.
Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) held a sublime event in wake of World Science Day (WSD-2015) which is celebrated every year across the globe on November 10. This years theme for WSD was Science for Sustainable Future. The purpose of celebrating this event was to mark the global solidarity for promotion of science and technology in order to create sustainable environments and combat with challenges for a prosperous and safer world. The partner organizations for this event were Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and ECO Science Foundation (ECOSF).
Dr Muhammad Ashraf, PSF in his address during the inaugural session of the event said, “Every year PSF celebrates this event with utmost passion and resolve for science promotion being a premier organization for science popularization. The science education must be enhanced in the country and rural communities must be reached; PSF is putting serious efforts in collaboration with UNESCO and other partner organizations to develop science education infrastructure in rural and far flung areas”.
Vibeke Jensen, Director UNESCO said, “Science Day helps all of us to refresh our ambitions of boosting science and technology education all over the world especially in the vulnerable developing nations like Pakistan. The cross disciplinary approach and more research will enable us to hone for better and sustainable development”. The presence of likes of UNESCO Director at auspicious occasion of WSD is a glimpse of developed nations being concerned of the developing nations predicament and interest in scientific devlopment.
Speaking at the convention, Dr Manzoor Soomro President, Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Science Foundation, mentioned that this years World Science Day is comparatively more important due to approval of recently SDGs by the United Nations General Assembly and release of the UNESCO Report 2015, just yesterday at UNESCO Headquarters during UNESCO General Conference. He emphasized on rigorously pursuing the SDG-4 “Quality Education and Lifelong Learning for all” with focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and SDG-5 “Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and Girls”.
Fazal Abbass Maken, Federal Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology who was the chief guest said that World Science Day is aimed at renewing national and international commitment to use science and technology and international scientific cooperation can initiate joint programmes for the promotion of science education, scientific research and science applications with UNESCOs lead role in the area.
PSF also arranged various competitions in connection to WSD including essay writing contest, poster competition and winners were awarded with the medals and certificates. These activities are must to popularize science at grass root level so to build capacities in science and technology domain and utilize the human asset in right direction.
The World Science Day is a time to rethink and revisit the policies and policy makers must self-question whether the policies are actually designed for scientific development or is there any need to reorient them to foster the development at adequate level in order to inflict result on general public by reducing their socio-economic challenges.