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Azim inaugurates symposium on chemistry

KARACHI: Sindh Governor Air Marshal Azim Daudpota (Retd), highlighting the significance of chemistry termed it a very rich subject.

He was delivering inaugural address at the 8th international symposium on natural product chemistry at a local hotel on Tuesday.

The five-day moot is being held under the auspices of the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry.

The governor, who is also the Chancellor of the public sector universities in the province, remarked that chemistry develops the mind and thinking of the indivudal and makes him systematic and analytical.

The Governor said it was heartening to note that the HEJ Research Institute of Chemisty has been recently upgraded as the International Centre for Chemical Sciences and added that this reflects the international recognition and appreciation of the high quality of research activities carried out at the institute under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman.

He stated that the Institute alone produces about 40 percent of the Ph.Ds awarded in the sciences annually in Pakistan and the students previously trained at the HEJ are contributing significantly in the industrial development of the country.

Daudpota said that the high international standards of the Institue have been widely recognised by top scientists of the world including Nobel laureates.

He said he was delighted to learn that recently Nadira Panjwani has announced a donation of Rs 110 million for the establishment of Dr. Panjwani Centre for Molecular Medicine and Drug Development which will be affiliated with HEJ Institute.

Vice-Chancellor of Karachi University, Prof. Dr. Zafar H. Zaidi, said that since technology plays a pivotal role in sustainable economic development of any country, careful and wel-planned utilisation of natural resources is essential for sustainable development so that generations ahead will continue to benefit from nature's bounties.

Prof. Zaidi recommended that a strategy be planned for the conservation of natural resources for our next generations and we shoud particularly stress on sustainable utilisation of natural resources through careful planning.

In his address of welcome the Director of HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rehman, said that the Institute has established an excellent tradition of holding major international confrences each year.

Prof. Masihuzzaman, Chairman of Bangladesh Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, said that scientists from his organisation and students of Dhaka University have been acquiring training at HEJ which he termed as a unique institution in the Third World.

Latif Ebrahim Jamal, Chairman of Husein Ebrahim Foundation, was of the view that with the release of Rs 1.5 million annually by the Foundation, the salaries of academic faculty of HEJ will be doubled in six years' time.

Dr. Iqbal Choudhry, organising secretary, presented vote of thanks.

Over 350 scientists from about 40 countries are participating in this major international symposium.ÑAPP