STAFF REPORT IBD: The Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) has launched a vigorous drive across Pakistan with the holding of a series of international expos across Pakistan with an objective to popularize science activities and create science awareness among the students and general public.
As part of this campaign, the PSF in collaboration with Embassy of France has launched an International Travelling Expo titled “Energies, for a Sustainable World” here at the National Centre for Physics (NCP), Quaid-e-Azam University, which is going to conclude on Thursday.
PSF Chairman Prof. Dr. Manzoor H. Soomro inaugurated the Expo. Addressing the launching ceremony, he said that the students and teachers should take maximum benefit from the PSF Science Caravan, Inquiry-Based Science Education, London International Young Scientists Forum programmes that are specially meant for students.
He urged the students that after visiting the expo the students may experiment to develop such things at their schools and homes. He advised them to explore what the Expo tells them and develop their own ideas for sustainable use of energy to overcome global energy crisis.
Purpose of the event was to provide a first-hand picture of the role of Chemistry in our daily life to students and general public and also increase the interest of young people in chemistry and generate enthusiasm among students for take chemistry as a subject of their studies, Dr. Soomro explained.
The Expo will provide a great opportunity to the students of all age groups, faculty members, researchers and general public to get firsthand knowledge about various forms of Energy, ways to enhance the Energy Resources and their proper uses for the national development, he maintained.
Dr. Soomro invited educational institutions to arrange visits of students groups to the Expo for educating them on importance of energy resources and their sustainable use.
He said PSF, as part of its science popularization activities, holds SandT Fairs and Exhibitions for creating science awareness among the students and general public. In this regard, so far more than 2 million students, teachers and general visitors have participated in these expositions.
Dr. Soomro also made a mention to PSF collaboration with different organizations including Pak-Turk Foundation, Intel Education Initiative Pakistan, National Center for Physics and universities etc to promote science education in the country through science competitions, fairs and science Olympiads.
According to the programme, the exhibition in Pakistan will travel from Islamabad to Muzzafarabad (AJK), Gilgit, Abbottabad, Gujrat, Larkana during March-April and will be concluded at Quetta (Balochistan).
NCP Advisor Prof. Dr. Aslam Baig, PSF Member Science Dr. Khalil Ahmed Ibupoto, France Embassys Cooperation Attaché for Development and Humanitarian Affairs Gilles Angels and PSF Principal Scientific Officer Dr. Naushaba Atta were also present at the inaugural ceremony attended by scientists, teachers and students from different educational institutions.
It is to be mentioned here that the expo has started its journey from January from Karachi and after travelling through Tandojam, Khairpur, DG. Khan, Multan, Lahore, Mansehra, Peshawar and Swat has reached Islamabad from where it would travel to Sibbi and conclude in Quetta.
Later, Dr. Soomro visited the Expo after its inauguration and took interest in the models displayed at there.
Prof. Dr. Aslam Baig highlighted the facilities available for students at NCP. He appreciated PSF and Embassy of France for arranging the expo on their premises so that the students could not only visit the exhibition but also get information about NCP summer camps and science Olympiads.
PSF Member Science Dr. Khalil Ahmed, Ibupoto, France Embassys Cooperation Attaché for Development and Humanitarian Affairs Gilles Angels, PSF Principal Scientific Officer Dr. Naushaba Atta and Expo Coordinator Abdul Rauf also spoke on the occasion and they highlighted different aspects of the Expo.