International symposium on nano science & technology
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Sponsored by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) an International Symposium on Nano Science and Technology ended here at HEC Headquarter. The two-day symposium was jointly organized by COMSATS Institute of Information Technology and COMSTECH.
Professor Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman, FRS, Federal Minister, Chairman HEC, and Advisor to the Prime Minister for Science and Technology chaired the inaugural ceremony of the symposium. He apprised the attendees aboutHEC's various initiatives towards the promotion of higher education by HEC. He threw light on how the government was materializing its commitment for the promotion of higher education by sending more than 500 students each for doctoral and post-doctoral studies in the best universities abroad. Fulbright Programme, the largest in the world, under which 640 will study in Ivy League universities in the US, he added. It was not confined to the higher education and research opportunities alone; the initiation of TTS (Tenure Track System) has ensured a lucrative career for the faculty members in Pakistani public sector universities. Launch of Digital Libraries and video conferencing, are one of those remarkable initiatives by HEC which will serve as catalyst for the promotion of education in science and technology and social sciences as well.
Prof. Atta stressed the need for the establishment of linkages between Pakistani and foreign universities and invited the foreign speakers to go ahead with such measures. Dr. Ismat Shah, Professor University of Delaware, an expert in Nano-Science and its Applications, remarked that though the topic might sound a bit exotic yet its relevance from the point of view of interdisciplinary context could not be marginalized.
Professor J.H. Weaver (USA), Professor, Celso Aldao (Argentina), Professor Dr. Peter Varga, Professor Talat Rehman (USA), Professor M. Zafar Iqbal (Pakistan), Professor. M. Aslam Baig (Pakistan) and Professor Arshad Saleem Bhatti (Pakistan) were amongst the invited speakers beside others on the occasion.
Besides HEC, and CIIT other sponsor included: Natural Science Foundation (USA), NCNST (Pakistan), COMSTECH Pakistan, and ICTP (Italy).
The Symposium culminated with a note of commitment for mutual collaboration for research and development. The guests were given away souvenirs to mark the occasion.
This workshop will focus on areas of production of enzymes for industries like: textile, paper and pulp, food, leather, and for research, exploration of microbial gene pool for food, pharmaceutical and specialized industries.
It will also include special emphasis on engineering of enzymes for industrial implications and translation of laboratory results to industrial scale processes. Representatives from the biotechnology, chemical and agricultural industries will join scientists from universities and research institutes.
The programme will range from new ways to make ethanol motor fuel, discovery of new drugs in marine life forms, to the nanotech-biotech interface.
The course includes discussions, brain storming activities and industrial trips to Fasialabad. The workshop will help train the participants in Industrial Biotechnology as well as to initiate and promote research in this area within Pakistan and other OIC countries.
Industrial biotechnology in OIC member states needs to be nurtured to overcome a number of barriers before its full potential can be realized. Industrial biotechnology is a new and emerging technology area entering its ‘growth’ stage. Microbes are creating the next industrial revolution. Industrial biotechnology involves harnessing nature’s own microbial workhorses and using them to transform how companies make a host of new products. These new biotechnology manufacturing processes are not only cleaner and greener — they are dramatically cutting costs for companies that now use them.