Academia Role Pivotal to Overcome Socio-Economic Turmoil

News Desk

Lahore: Without excellence in research and innovation, a nation or a country cannot advance. Given the odd form of anarchy and terrible economic crisis Pakistan is currently experiencing, it is time for educational institutions to conduct self-assessments to determine where they fell short and how they may fill those gaps going forward to boost our economy and intelligence, said Government College University (GCU) Lahore Vice Chancellor Dr Asghar Zaidi.

He was speaking at the 17th National Symposium on Frontiers of Physics, which kicked off on Thursday at GCU with discussions on emerging technologies and challenges facing Pakistan in the field of science.

The three-day conference, organized by the GCU Physics Department in association with the Punjab Higher Education Commission and the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, will also feature remarks from Nobel laureate Sir Roger Penrose. Prof. Asghar Zaidi urged the attendees to also talk about the societal implications of the research being presented at the conference.National Centre for Physics (NCP) Dr Shoaib Ahmad seconded Vice Chancellor Dr Asghar Zaidi and said, “Something went wrong, taking our attention away from science and education and undermining the role of educational institutions.”

In his keynote address, noted Plasma Physicist and Mathematician Dr G. Murtaza noted, “Science is undergoing rapid change, knowledge is expanding at a breakneck pace, and physicists are making great strides toward solving nature’s biggest mysteries.” He discussed the significant advances in physics over the past several years that led to the establishment of the quark model of matter. Dr G

Murtaza gave the students an explanation of the recent technological breakthroughs that had garnered the Nobel Prize in the last twenty years.

GCU Dean Dr Raiz Ahmad stated that this symposium will feature more than 20 technical sessions on a variety of topics, including condensed matter physics, high energy particle physics, nanotechnology, cosmology, atomic and molecular physics, lasers, plasma physics, and controlled fusion. A large number of physicists from Pakistan’s top universities and R&D organisations are participating in this event. At the conference, some 50 physicists are giving speeches and presenting papers that highlight recent significant advancements in physics and their effects on all facets of our life.