Pakistan, Science and Technology

 

Today, the globe is strongly split by a technical gap that divides technologically advanced countries from technologically backward countries. The former has been able to deploy its scientists and engineers to drive rapid economic expansion, whilst the latter has been consigned to the position of technical product consumers. They have grown nearly completely reliant on industrialized countries for the majority of their requirements, whether it be chemicals, medicines, engineering items, transportation equipment, or military equipment. As a result, more and more revenues from poor nations are moved to industrialized ones, causing poverty in developing countries to rise.

The remarkable advancements in science and technology have had a major impact on people's lives in practically every aspect of our activity, including health, agriculture, communication, transportation, and defense. These advancements have been fueled by an increasing number of fascinating discoveries, most of which have come from Western research laboratories, and their transformation into new devices or processes that have swamped global marketplaces. These floods, in turn, shower massive economic benefits on those countries with the desire and vision to make science and technology the cornerstone of their growth plans.

The science and technology industry in Pakistan has never been accorded the stature necessary to properly utilize it as a contributor to national and economic progress due to the neglect and incorrect vision of successive administrations' planners. Our R&D institutes were unable to perform any useful research due to a lack of government financing. Due to a lack of adequate research facilities and environments at universities and research institutions, the quality of higher education has deteriorated to the point where our universities have been consigned to the role of low-level colleges, with no important university-economy linkages.

Science and technology, notably information technology (IT), are top objectives for the current administration. By combining science and technology with economic development programs, a comprehensive program for establishing a knowledge-based economy has been developed and implemented. The government has increased its budgetary commitment to the ministry I lead from Rs. 7 billion to more than Rs. 7 billion (US$120 million; a 6000 percent increase). As a result, the ministry, adopting a broad perspective of Pakistan's dire situation, has started a slew of initiatives that fall within the purview of other ministries but include the appropriate use of science and technology for economic progress. Since June 2000, the government has initiated around 260 development projects in various disciplines, totaling approximately Rs. 18 billion (US$300 million).

A program called Science and Technology for Economic Progress is a fascinating idea that might have a significant influence on Pakistan's economic development (STED). Joint initiatives involving public and private sector institutions and industries for technology-based manufacturing of high-value-added items are being launched under this program. This collaboration between academics and industry is a novel way to achieve a specific level of technological advancement. These aren't only research endeavors; they also entail using current technology for agricultural or industrial growth. So far, 28 initiatives in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, information technology, energy, and health have been started as part of a public-private partnership. The STED program is expected to strengthen the industrial and technological base of the country and set the trend for commercially viable high-value-added products and processes.

IT education has been accorded top emphasis by the government. A great number of short-, medium-, and long-term training programs have been launched, and some have been completed, as a consequence of the multifaceted strategy taken by Pakistan to address the shortfall in human resources in the field of IT. Six new IT institutions have been formed, while 34 IT and computer science departments in public universities have been founded or improved. About 56 institutions are connected through an educational intranet initiative so that they can share knowledge and information. To encourage talented students, internships and scholarships have been granted in several disciplines of IT.

The government has established a network of well-equipped technology parks in key cities to aid software development. In addition, a project for industrial automation in small and medium-sized businesses, as well as ISO certification for IT firms, has been initiated.

Although the government has made several initiatives to improve the quality of education and research in Pakistan, the formation of the Higher Education Commission is, in my opinion, the most essential. The commission, which is still in the planning stages, has already put in a lot of effort to design an action plan for achieving world standards in education, research, and development. The commission is trying to adjust higher education programs to meet the demands of the country and its socio-economic growth. Through the commission, the government has pledged a significant boost in university financing.

These programs mark a watershed moment in Pakistan's science and technology development, as they will bring much-needed funding and scientific knowledge to our institutions, resulting in the country's socio-economic progress. After 50 years of neglect in this critical area, a genuine start has now been made.