ISLAMABAD: Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) organized the launching ceremony of Urdu translation of the book titled, “One Hundred Reasons to Be a Scientist”, which was originally published in 2004 by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Italy.
It comprises of the life achievements of 91 contemporary scientists who played a major role in shaping the science and technology in the world during the course of last 50 years.
Chief Guest of the ceremony, renowned Literary Critic, Prof. Fateh Muhammad Malik deemed it a major achievement and a highly valuable addition to Urdu literature. He said, “Urdu translation of scientific literature, such as this book, is a commendable effort for scientific renaissance in our society”.
He stressed the need to integrate science with society in such a way that art, literature, religion, and meta-physics all are absorbed in scientific pursuits.
COMSATS Executive Director, Dr. I.E. Qureshi said that it took enormous effort to render this book into Urdu because of the brevity of articles and complexity of highly advanced scientific narrative. The aim of the book is to inspire our students to become scientists as science provides sustainable solutions to many of development issues in Pakistan and other countries of the South. He informed the audience that the book is available on COMSATS website and softcopy can be accessed free of cost.
Earlier, the Acting Executive Director of Higher Education Commission, Dr Ghulam Raza Bhatti, in his welcome remarks, noted that information and its dissemination are two important ingredients of a knowledge-based society and said that COMSATS has done great work for rendering this book into Urdu which would help in spreading scientific information across wider population of the country.
Dr. Anjum Hameed, Director, National Language Promotion Department (NLPD), read out the message of Mr. Irfan Siddiqui, Adviser to the Prime Minister on National History and Literary Heritage. While paying tribute to COMSATS Secretariat and COMSATS Institute of Information Technology for the initiative of translating and publishing this book, Mr. Siddiqui, in his message, said that Urdu version of the book would be a useful source for science education and popularization in Pakistan and inspire the young students to opt for science-related higher studies and careers.
The book was translated under the editorship of Dr. I.E. Qureshi, Executive Director COMSATS, with the support of a panel of distinguished scientists and academicians. The National Language Promotion Department (NLPD) facilitated the translation process.
Advisors of CIIT, Ms. Syeda Nasreen Sultana, Dr. Ashraf Atta, Prof. Dr. M. Aslam Khan, and Dr. Mumtaz F. Jafri, also shared their remarks at the occasion. The event had representation of scientific, academic and literary circles.