ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Federal Minister for Science and Technology Rana Tanveer Hussain on Tuesday said that advancement in science and technology (S&T) was one of the basic requisites for a robust economy in today’s knowledge based world.
While addressing the inaugural session of the 4th Convention & 25th General Assembly meeting of the Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP) 2017 jointly organized by Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) and the National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) in Islamabad, the minister appreciated the PEC and to NUST for bringing all together to strive for a better world through innovation and engineering education for society, development, and sustainability, which was the main theme of the event.
The minister said science and technology was the key to success in the modern era. There was enough evidence to show that nations which have not pursued science and technology, have fallen behind in terms of their industrial and economic development.
Rana Tanveer said that modernization in every aspect of life was an important manifestation of the role of science and technology. He said that the introduction of modern gadgets had not only facilitated connectivity but it had also empowered the disadvantaged segments of society.
The minister said technology had revolutionized sectors like health and education. He said that science and technology was a growing field in Pakistan as evident from some most brilliant minds who were great acclaim in mathematics and in several branches of physical science, notably theoretical physics and chemistry.
The science and technology minister said that the ministry as the national focal point and the enabling arm of the government for planning, coordinating and directing efforts has initiated scientific and technological programs as per the national agenda to develop a sustainable S&T research base for socio-economic development of the country.
The ministry’s goals and agendas were perfectly aligned with the vision of Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP) that was to promote sound engineering practices in support of the socio economic development objectives in the regions of their interest, he added.
The ministry’s principal focus, he said, was on building Pakistan’s technological competence and developing a larger pool of human resources to reverse the brain drain, and for integrating the existing technological infrastructure for strengthening of technology institutions, effective governance of S&T and enhancing the capacity of indigenous innovation systems.
In this regard the focus areas has been re-orientation of the research agenda in light of the needs of the industries, the minister said.
Rana Tanveer appreciated the efforts made by FEIAP, PEC and NUST to organize this conference with a view to facilitate the exchange of information, expertise and ideas related to engineering amongst the member organizations within the Asia-Pacific region.
The minister also congratulated Pakistan Engineering Council and National University of Sciences and Technology for their untiring efforts in continuously improving the engineering profession and to groom and shape the brightest minds to do greater good for the society.
The government, he said, would always extend all out support for the future growth of not only NUST but all the educational institutions of Pakistan.
