KARACHI: Science could help in maintaining relations among people of societies across the globe. It is a phenomenon that revolutionised human life, observed acting vice-chancellor University of Karachi (KU) Prof Dr Khalid Iraqi on Sunday.
He was speaking at the concluding ceremony of a three-day workshop on Management aspects of bio-safety and creating a culture of bio-safety organised by the Pakistan Biological Safety Association in collaboration with KUs Dr AQ Khan Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (KIBGE) and Forgaty International, National Institute of Health, USA, at a local hotel.
Dr Iraqi said scientific developments should be aimed at safeguarding and upholding human values and rights. However, he added, while there were countless positive uses of science, humanity had also been endangered with its negative use by unscrupulous individuals. “It is, hence, duty of all stakeholders to curtail the misuse of scientific knowledge.”
It appeared that a lack of coordination and communication existed between natural, social and management sciences which needed to be bridged through mutual efforts of scientists of the respective fields, Dr Iraqi added.
“Terrorism has posed serious challenges to the entire world and Pakistan is no less a victim of it.” Education was the most vital element in defeating terrorism, he said, adding, that peace in any society was possible only if the people making up the society wanted to live in a peaceful environment.
He further emphasised that nations only prospered when education and research were prioritised. Every individual has a role to play in restoration of peace and countering terrorism in their society, Dr Iraqi stated.
KIBGE Director General Prof Dr Abid Azhar while addressing the ceremony opined that workshops on such sensitive subjects were the need of the hour for the contemporary world.
Phillipe Stroot, a scholar from Belgium, said he had visited Pakistan on several occasions against security advice from several quarters, and had carried back with him fond memories of every visit he paid to Pakistan.
With the spillover of terrorism in Western countries, he said Pakistan was a second home to him and that he felt extremely safe.
Sean Kaufman, a bio-safety scholar from US, lauded Pakistani academicians in producing highly motivated and competent people who he came across during the workshops.
Dr Zulfiqar Naqvi of the Pakistan Biological Safety Association thanked the facilitators and participants of the workshop, from different parts of Pakistan and Overseas.
Tim Trevan and Dr Ziba Rasmussen, also bio-safety experts from the US, also spoke at the event.