KARACHI, Aug 31: E-Education Programme would become an integral component of Dow University of Health Sciences in the next three months along with a full-fledged digital library.
This was stated by DUHS Vice-Chancellor Prof Masood Hameed Khan while addressing the inaugural session of a seminar organized by the Health Times Academy, an NGO of Sindh-based senior medical professionals, in collaboration with DUHS at Arag Auditorium on Wednesday.
He announced that the E-Education Programme would be simultaneously complimented by the digital library project at the university enhancing direct accessibility of students and faculty members associated with the Dow Medical College, Sindh Medical College and Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases to all online journals and archives.
For the very purpose, 100 work stations are being made available at Dow Medical College, 70 at SMC besides a sizable number at Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases, he said.
Appreciative of the initiative undertaken by Health Times Academy, the vice-chancellor said that it was extremely appropriate and contributory to further strengthening the ongoing Continuing Medical Education Programme at DUHS.
Prof Masood Hameed reminded that the university fully conscious of the importance to update the knowledge of family physicians and young medical graduates had already chalked out education-cum-training programmes particularly focussed on the commonest diseases inflicting local population.
“DUHS has already chalked out a programme comprising a series of 24 lectures for local general medical practitioners and family physicians,” he said adding that Dow varsity is also in process to incorporate a mandatory education-cum-training programme in 20 diseases, most pertinent to Pakistan, for its final year students about to start with their house jobs.
Prof Abdul Ghaffar Billoo appreciated the Health Times Academy for its selection of topics ranging from diabetes to enteric fever which were registered to be fast growing in Pakistan.
Prof Ali Ansari observed that proper guidance and provision for updating knowledge among family physicians was largely lacking. He stressed that the gap between family physicians and specialists be bridged as in any society they ought to be complimentary to each other.
Health Times Academy President Prof Zaman Sheikh, in his welcome address, said that the academy functioning for the last five years had embarked upon a series of continuing medical education programme for family physicians scattered across the province.
First of the series of programmes, he said, was held in Mirpurkhas on Aug 27 and the last programme in Sukkur on Sept 3. —APP
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Foundation (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
www.paksef.org
=====================================================
Thursday, September 01, 2005
KARACHI: Tampered lines caused contamination, says KWSB
KARACHI, Aug 31: The Managing Director of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, Brig (retd) Iftikhar Haider, on Wednesday said that tampering with water supply lines in some kutchi abadies had resulted in contamination of water.
During his visit to Essa Nagri and Manno Goth in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, he said that some residents of kutchi abadies used to get water connection by illegally breaking water supply lines. He added that these people did not follow mechanical needs to check seepage into these lines, which result in water contamination.
On the occasion, he inspected affected water supply lines of the area. KWBS engineers told him that people used to take water connections for their homes by using PVC and plastic pipes and they did not use durable rubber washers in these connections and instead use pieces of sponge sleepers. They said that this makeshift procedure created leakage and seepage problems, ultimately contaminating the water, when suction pumps are used to get water.
KWSB chief requested the citizens not to tamper with water lines for getting illegal connections instead contact KWSB staff for obtaining legal and safe water connection.
He said that in case of any complaint regarding supply of contaminated water, citizens could contact chief engineer water supply on phone numbers 9231221 or 9231218. He said that after drive to clean manholes, the complaints of water contamination were decreasing.
Later, Brig Iftikhar went to Sakhi Hasan and inspected the 33-inch-dia water supply line that had burst. The affected pipeline was changed and water supply had been resumed. —PPI
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Foundation (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
www.paksef.org
=====================================================
During his visit to Essa Nagri and Manno Goth in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, he said that some residents of kutchi abadies used to get water connection by illegally breaking water supply lines. He added that these people did not follow mechanical needs to check seepage into these lines, which result in water contamination.
On the occasion, he inspected affected water supply lines of the area. KWBS engineers told him that people used to take water connections for their homes by using PVC and plastic pipes and they did not use durable rubber washers in these connections and instead use pieces of sponge sleepers. They said that this makeshift procedure created leakage and seepage problems, ultimately contaminating the water, when suction pumps are used to get water.
KWSB chief requested the citizens not to tamper with water lines for getting illegal connections instead contact KWSB staff for obtaining legal and safe water connection.
He said that in case of any complaint regarding supply of contaminated water, citizens could contact chief engineer water supply on phone numbers 9231221 or 9231218. He said that after drive to clean manholes, the complaints of water contamination were decreasing.
Later, Brig Iftikhar went to Sakhi Hasan and inspected the 33-inch-dia water supply line that had burst. The affected pipeline was changed and water supply had been resumed. —PPI
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Foundation (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
www.paksef.org
=====================================================
Monday, July 04, 2005
Rs400 million allocated for research in nano medicine
Rs400 million allocated for research in nano medicine
ISLAMABAD, July 3: The government has allocated Rs400 million for two premier institutes, Comsats and the National Institute for Biomedical and Genetic Engineering (Nibge) Faisalabad, for research in nano medicine.
This was stated by Dr Raheel Qamar, who is studying the discipline at the Comsats Institute of Nano Technology, at the monthly meeting of the Scientists Club here on Saturday.
He said the first application of the nano-medicine technology in the country would be development of kits for diagnoses of different diseases. He announced that indigenous development of these kits would be started soon, saving valuable foreign exchange.
At present, these kits are imported, he said, adding that “in most cases, these kits were not suitable to our particular environment as the diseases found in foreign countries differed from those found here, so we ought to develop these kits on the basis of data obtained in the country”.
A lot of studies in this regard are being done at Nibge, Faisalabad.
Dr Qamar said huge advancement had been made worldwide in therapeutic uses of nano-medicine technology, particularly in treating cancer. The technology can also be helpful in treating coronary diseases.
“Because of their small size, nanoparticles have the advantage of easily interacting with biomolecules on the surface of cells or inside. In addition, nano medicine has the potential of reducing the morbidity and morality among patients.”
Former commandant of Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Gen (retired) I.T. Burney, who presided over the event, appreciated the efforts of nano-medicine diagnostic expert Dr Qamar for keeping his country in stride with progress in the new technology.
He said many Muslim countries were looking up to Pakistan for assimilating new developments in science and technology which would be of use to them in later years.
Gen Burney said: “We are lucky that we have made progress in related diagnostic fields. He recalled that the country received its first electronic microscope able to magnify a cell 40 times during his time.”
Later, Gen Burney said he was given funds to acquire an electronic microscope that could magnify things 100 times. “We have now acquired the capacity to actually see the structure of cells and a time would come when we could deliver therapeutic agents directly to the affected cells,” he said. — Jonaid Iqbal
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
ISLAMABAD, July 3: The government has allocated Rs400 million for two premier institutes, Comsats and the National Institute for Biomedical and Genetic Engineering (Nibge) Faisalabad, for research in nano medicine.
This was stated by Dr Raheel Qamar, who is studying the discipline at the Comsats Institute of Nano Technology, at the monthly meeting of the Scientists Club here on Saturday.
He said the first application of the nano-medicine technology in the country would be development of kits for diagnoses of different diseases. He announced that indigenous development of these kits would be started soon, saving valuable foreign exchange.
At present, these kits are imported, he said, adding that “in most cases, these kits were not suitable to our particular environment as the diseases found in foreign countries differed from those found here, so we ought to develop these kits on the basis of data obtained in the country”.
A lot of studies in this regard are being done at Nibge, Faisalabad.
Dr Qamar said huge advancement had been made worldwide in therapeutic uses of nano-medicine technology, particularly in treating cancer. The technology can also be helpful in treating coronary diseases.
“Because of their small size, nanoparticles have the advantage of easily interacting with biomolecules on the surface of cells or inside. In addition, nano medicine has the potential of reducing the morbidity and morality among patients.”
Former commandant of Armed Forces Institute of Pathology Gen (retired) I.T. Burney, who presided over the event, appreciated the efforts of nano-medicine diagnostic expert Dr Qamar for keeping his country in stride with progress in the new technology.
He said many Muslim countries were looking up to Pakistan for assimilating new developments in science and technology which would be of use to them in later years.
Gen Burney said: “We are lucky that we have made progress in related diagnostic fields. He recalled that the country received its first electronic microscope able to magnify a cell 40 times during his time.”
Later, Gen Burney said he was given funds to acquire an electronic microscope that could magnify things 100 times. “We have now acquired the capacity to actually see the structure of cells and a time would come when we could deliver therapeutic agents directly to the affected cells,” he said. — Jonaid Iqbal
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Fibre-optic cable fault remains untraced
Fibre-optic cable fault remains untraced
By Bahzad Alam Khan
KARACHI, July 3: Engineers working on the snapped Internet link failed on Sunday to trace the fault in SEA-ME-WE-3, world’s longest fibre-optic cable. The engineers are aboard a ship sent by the 92-party consortium that runs the cable to the coast of Karachi.
The president of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company, Mr Junaid Khan, told Dawn that in a repair operation that involved scores of technical experts from various countries, the defective portion of the undersea SEA-ME-WE-3 had been narrowed down to around five kilometres.
“Frankly, the fault has not been traced. Previously, we had narrowed the defective portion down to 15 kilometres. At the moment engineers working aboard the ship sent in by a UAE-based company, E-Marine, were scanning five kilometres of the 39,000-kilometre-long fibre-optic link, which is believed to contain the defective portion,” he said.
Pakistan made an initial investment of $35 million in SEA-ME-WE-3. It pays around $2.5 million as maintenance cost, including repair cost, to the consortium annually.
The PTCL president said: “Apparently the undersea fibre-optic link is not damaged. If it had been damaged, it would have been easy to detect it. Besides, the rough weather has made the fault localization process, a tedious exercise in the best of times, even more cumbersome. Engineers are having a hard time differentiating between noise and signals sent back by the faulty portion of the cable in what is known as sonic testing.”
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
By Bahzad Alam Khan
KARACHI, July 3: Engineers working on the snapped Internet link failed on Sunday to trace the fault in SEA-ME-WE-3, world’s longest fibre-optic cable. The engineers are aboard a ship sent by the 92-party consortium that runs the cable to the coast of Karachi.
The president of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company, Mr Junaid Khan, told Dawn that in a repair operation that involved scores of technical experts from various countries, the defective portion of the undersea SEA-ME-WE-3 had been narrowed down to around five kilometres.
“Frankly, the fault has not been traced. Previously, we had narrowed the defective portion down to 15 kilometres. At the moment engineers working aboard the ship sent in by a UAE-based company, E-Marine, were scanning five kilometres of the 39,000-kilometre-long fibre-optic link, which is believed to contain the defective portion,” he said.
Pakistan made an initial investment of $35 million in SEA-ME-WE-3. It pays around $2.5 million as maintenance cost, including repair cost, to the consortium annually.
The PTCL president said: “Apparently the undersea fibre-optic link is not damaged. If it had been damaged, it would have been easy to detect it. Besides, the rough weather has made the fault localization process, a tedious exercise in the best of times, even more cumbersome. Engineers are having a hard time differentiating between noise and signals sent back by the faulty portion of the cable in what is known as sonic testing.”
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Summer Confrence in Mathematics
LAHORE UNIVERSITY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
Centre for Advanced Studies in Mathematics
SUMMER CONFERENCE
IN MATHEMATICS
(July 18-19, 2005)
1st Announcement
CASM is organizing this conference, with the view to broaden the research interests of young mathematicians by providing an opportunity to discuss recent developments in various fields and to assess future directions. The organizing committee invite all those interested, to intimate by June 15, 2005 through an e-mail to: kashifi@lums.edu.pk.
Organizing Committee:Dr. M. Aslam Butt (Convener), Dr. M. Naeem Qureshi
Venue: Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore.
For further detail please visit: http://web.lums.edu.pk/~casm/summerconference.html
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
Centre for Advanced Studies in Mathematics
SUMMER CONFERENCE
IN MATHEMATICS
(July 18-19, 2005)
1st Announcement
CASM is organizing this conference, with the view to broaden the research interests of young mathematicians by providing an opportunity to discuss recent developments in various fields and to assess future directions. The organizing committee invite all those interested, to intimate by June 15, 2005 through an e-mail to: kashifi@lums.edu.pk.
Organizing Committee:Dr. M. Aslam Butt (Convener), Dr. M. Naeem Qureshi
Venue: Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore.
For further detail please visit: http://web.lums.edu.pk/~casm/summerconference.html
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Pakistan to send centrifuge parts to IAEA for testing: diplomat
VIENNA (AFP)
13 March 2005
Pakistan will send centrifuge parts to the UN nuclear watchdog to help determine whether uranium contamination found in Iran came from imported equipment, as Iran claims, a Western diplomat said here.
"The centrifuge parts will be sent to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) laboratory in Seibersdorf," near Vienna, he said.
The IAEA is investigating contamination by microscopic particles of highly enriched uranium (HEU) found at the Kalaye workshop in Tehran.
HEU can be fuel for civilian nuclear reactors but also can be used to make nuclear weapons.
The diplomat said that the centrifuge parts should come from the same set of centrifuges that were used at Kalaye, "otherwise it wouldn't serve any purpose."
IAEA technicians at Seibersfdorf will be checking for HEU contamination and to see whether the "signature" or isotope configuration of the contamination at Kahle matches that of the parts from Pakistan.
A diplomat close to the IAEA told AFP that they were looking at HEU contamination at several
sites in Iran besides Kahle.
The diplomat said he would be "happy when the parts actually arrive," adding that the investigation was a very delicate matter.
Britain, France and Germany, on behalf of the European Union, have been trying to persuade Tehran to permanently abandon its capacity to produce HEU in return for a package of incentives.
The diplomatic effort is aimed at securing "objective guarantees" that Iran will not produce nuclear weapons.
The United States charges that Iran has a clandestine nuclear weapons program and wants the IAEA to bring Tehran before the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.
But IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei says that while Iran hid sensitive nuclear activity for almost two decades, "the jury is still out" on whether Tehran is trying to develop atomic weapons.
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
13 March 2005
Pakistan will send centrifuge parts to the UN nuclear watchdog to help determine whether uranium contamination found in Iran came from imported equipment, as Iran claims, a Western diplomat said here.
"The centrifuge parts will be sent to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) laboratory in Seibersdorf," near Vienna, he said.
The IAEA is investigating contamination by microscopic particles of highly enriched uranium (HEU) found at the Kalaye workshop in Tehran.
HEU can be fuel for civilian nuclear reactors but also can be used to make nuclear weapons.
The diplomat said that the centrifuge parts should come from the same set of centrifuges that were used at Kalaye, "otherwise it wouldn't serve any purpose."
IAEA technicians at Seibersfdorf will be checking for HEU contamination and to see whether the "signature" or isotope configuration of the contamination at Kahle matches that of the parts from Pakistan.
A diplomat close to the IAEA told AFP that they were looking at HEU contamination at several
sites in Iran besides Kahle.
The diplomat said he would be "happy when the parts actually arrive," adding that the investigation was a very delicate matter.
Britain, France and Germany, on behalf of the European Union, have been trying to persuade Tehran to permanently abandon its capacity to produce HEU in return for a package of incentives.
The diplomatic effort is aimed at securing "objective guarantees" that Iran will not produce nuclear weapons.
The United States charges that Iran has a clandestine nuclear weapons program and wants the IAEA to bring Tehran before the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.
But IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei says that while Iran hid sensitive nuclear activity for almost two decades, "the jury is still out" on whether Tehran is trying to develop atomic weapons.
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
Friday, January 28, 2005
Compliments Of The Seasons From Mr Turkin & Monica
Dear Sir,
I Hope This Mail Meets You In Good Health And Spirit, I Am, TURKIN EZE,
A Sierra Leonia. Presently, I Live As A Refugee In republic of senegal
dakar , With My Younger Sister, MONICA.I Am A Victim Of War And The Son
Of Late Chief Dr.O.ONUORAH The Assassinated Former Assistant Director Of
Sierra Leone Gold And Diamond Mining Corporation.
My Father Was Killed With Other Government Officials During Official
Hours When The Rebel Troops Stormed And Raided The Mining Corporation
Office At The Heat Of The Crisis In My Country. A Few Weeks Later, The
Rebels Also Invaded Our Residential Building In Which My Mother And Two
Of Our Security Men Were Killed In The Compound While I Was Out For A
Special Research Program And My Younger Sister Was In School.
I Had A Singular Shock And Trauma, Which Compelled Us To Flee From The
Country To republic of senegal dakar By The Help Of An Army Colonel, Who
Is A Close Friend Of My Late Father,We Would Like To Further Our Education If
Not For The Death Of My Parents. I Have Never Worked To Earn My Living
Since My Late Parents Had Enough Wealth For Us.
I Am Contacting You Now Because Of The Present Difficulty I Am Facing.
Unfortunately My Father's Two Accounts In West Africa Have Recently Been
Frozen.However This Did Not Affect The Twenty Million And Six Hundred
Thousand Dollars(Us$ 20,600,000), Which He Kept In a Foreign Finance Fairm
Banking On My Name As The Next Of Kin.
For Now, I Am Having Every Information And Document Needed For The
Clearance Of The Money In The Foreign Finance Firm Banking Here With Me And
I Want You To Act As The Beneficiary Of The Fund For Easy And Smooth
Transfer To Your Account Abroad For Investment Purposes.
You Will No Doubt Be Adequately Compensated With As Well As A Percentage
Of The Profit From Investment Of The Fund. Also You Will See To It That
My Sister And I Come Over To Your Country At The Earliest Possible Time.
I Am Making This Request To You With Tears In My Eyes And I Feel That God
Almighty Will Touch You With His Spirit To Listen To My Cry For Help And
Answer Me Without Delay.
Since Our Breadwinner Is No More And This Is The Only Hope For Life.
You Positive Response Will Give Me The Greatest Joy And Relief. God Bless
You For Your Kind Assistance We Have Agreed To Offer You
35% Of The Total Sum.Seriously Waiting For Your Urgent Reply Below Email.
Email :turkineze2004@walla.com.
Best regard,
MR.TURKIN.E.ONUORAH
Compliments Of The Seasons From Mr Turkin & Monica
Dear Sir,
I Hope This Mail Meets You In Good Health And Spirit, I Am, TURKIN EZE,
A Sierra Leonia. Presently, I Live As A Refugee In republic of senegal
dakar , With My Younger Sister, MONICA.I Am A Victim Of War And The Son
Of Late Chief Dr.O.ONUORAH The Assassinated Former Assistant Director Of
Sierra Leone Gold And Diamond Mining Corporation.
My Father Was Killed With Other Government Officials During Official
Hours When The Rebel Troops Stormed And Raided The Mining Corporation
Office At The Heat Of The Crisis In My Country. A Few Weeks Later, The
Rebels Also Invaded Our Residential Building In Which My Mother And Two
Of Our Security Men Were Killed In The Compound While I Was Out For A
Special Research Program And My Younger Sister Was In School.
I Had A Singular Shock And Trauma, Which Compelled Us To Flee From The
Country To republic of senegal dakar By The Help Of An Army Colonel, Who
Is A Close Friend Of My Late Father,We Would Like To Further Our Education If
Not For The Death Of My Parents. I Have Never Worked To Earn My Living
Since My Late Parents Had Enough Wealth For Us.
I Am Contacting You Now Because Of The Present Difficulty I Am Facing.
Unfortunately My Father's Two Accounts In West Africa Have Recently Been
Frozen.However This Did Not Affect The Twenty Million And Six Hundred
Thousand Dollars(Us$ 20,600,000), Which He Kept In a Foreign Finance Fairm
Banking On My Name As The Next Of Kin.
For Now, I Am Having Every Information And Document Needed For The
Clearance Of The Money In The Foreign Finance Firm Banking Here With Me And
I Want You To Act As The Beneficiary Of The Fund For Easy And Smooth
Transfer To Your Account Abroad For Investment Purposes.
You Will No Doubt Be Adequately Compensated With As Well As A Percentage
Of The Profit From Investment Of The Fund. Also You Will See To It That
My Sister And I Come Over To Your Country At The Earliest Possible Time.
I Am Making This Request To You With Tears In My Eyes And I Feel That God
Almighty Will Touch You With His Spirit To Listen To My Cry For Help And
Answer Me Without Delay.
Since Our Breadwinner Is No More And This Is The Only Hope For Life.
You Positive Response Will Give Me The Greatest Joy And Relief. God Bless
You For Your Kind Assistance We Have Agreed To Offer You
35% Of The Total Sum.Seriously Waiting For Your Urgent Reply Below Email.
Email :turkineze2004@walla.com.
Best regard,
MR.TURKIN.E.ONUORAH
Friday, January 14, 2005
Khwarimi Science Society Workshop on Nano-Materials
KHWARZIMIC IN 2005 (The Year of Physics): Want to lead a seminar? Want to propose a speaker? Please contact us at info@khwarzimic.org.
Dear Member / SubscriberAssalam-o-alaikumThe Khwarzimic Science Society has organized a one-day workshop on:NANOMATERIALS: THE INVISIBLE MADE VISIBLEon Monday, 17 Jan 2005 at 11 am at the Centre for Solid State Physics,Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Punjab University, Lahore.
The workshop instructor is Umair Manzoor from the Nano-cermaics Lab,KAIST, Korea.The workshop will comprise four presentations of one hour each. Lunchbreak will be at 1 pm.For details, posters and abstracts, please visit http://www.khwarzimic.org.
The workshop will be oriented for beginners to the field of nanotechnologyand nanomaterials. It will focus on preparing such materials andstructures. Students and faculties are equally welcome. The workshop isfree of cost. However we encourage you to register.
Please email us atinfo@khwarzimic.org or call us at the following cell numbers:0300-4605930 (Sabieh), 0300-4154574 (Shahab)We look forward to seeing you on Monday.Dr. Sabieh AnwarJoint SecretaryKhwarzimic Science Society
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
Dear Member / SubscriberAssalam-o-alaikumThe Khwarzimic Science Society has organized a one-day workshop on:NANOMATERIALS: THE INVISIBLE MADE VISIBLEon Monday, 17 Jan 2005 at 11 am at the Centre for Solid State Physics,Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Punjab University, Lahore.
The workshop instructor is Umair Manzoor from the Nano-cermaics Lab,KAIST, Korea.The workshop will comprise four presentations of one hour each. Lunchbreak will be at 1 pm.For details, posters and abstracts, please visit http://www.khwarzimic.org.
The workshop will be oriented for beginners to the field of nanotechnologyand nanomaterials. It will focus on preparing such materials andstructures. Students and faculties are equally welcome. The workshop isfree of cost. However we encourage you to register.
Please email us atinfo@khwarzimic.org or call us at the following cell numbers:0300-4605930 (Sabieh), 0300-4154574 (Shahab)We look forward to seeing you on Monday.Dr. Sabieh AnwarJoint SecretaryKhwarzimic Science Society
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
Sunday, January 09, 2005
‘Quake may have made Earth wobble’
The deadly Asian earthquake may have permanently accelerated the Earth’s rotation – shortening days by a fraction of a second – and caused the planet to wobble on its axis, US scientists say. Richard Gross, a geophysicist with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, theorized that a shift of mass toward the Earth’s centre during the quake on Sunday caused the planet to spin 3 microseconds, or 3 millionths of a second, faster and to tilt about an inch on its axis. When one huge tectonic plate beneath the Indian Ocean was forced below the edge of another “it had the effect of making the Earth more compact and spinning faster,” Gross said. The Earth’s poles travel a circular path that normally varies by about 33 feet, so an added wobble of an inch is unlikely to cause long-term effects, he said. reuters
[For further information visit the International Earth Rotation and Refrence System (IERS) wbsite at http://www.iers.org/ ]
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
[For further information visit the International Earth Rotation and Refrence System (IERS) wbsite at http://www.iers.org/ ]
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
Friday, December 24, 2004
Pakistan Has Become a Hot Spot for IT Outsourcing
BEST OF ECT NEWS:Pakistan Has Become a Hot Spot for IT Outsourcing
By Anthony MitchellE-Commerce Times 12/24/04 5:00 AM PT
The biggest boost to Pakistan's efforts to break into the global IT marketplace came on September 28, when India's finance ministry announced an income tax of more than 36 percent on foreign firms with software, R&D and customer service operations in India. This tax proposal had been in the works since the beginning of the year and is expected to prompt U.S. firms to follow GE's lead in selling off assets in India.
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Why is Pakistan the hot new offshore information technology (IT) destination? This is because of a combination of favorable economic circumstances. Just when many Western managers are finally becoming comfortable with the idea of working closely with Indian IT firms, along comes Pakistan.
Pakistan is shaking off decades of "also ran" status. Funds invested into building educational institutions in Pakistan (when there were not enough jobs to absorb all the graduates from those institutions) are paying off as Pakistan begins to field a modern, highly productive labor force that is the envy of more prosperous but less tech savvy nations elsewhere in the region.
Why Care?
Why should the average Western IT professional, businessperson or IT consumer care? Because we are all going to be buying and using more IT outputs from Pakistan. To be a smarter buyer and user of IT products calls for a familiarity with Pakistan, even for those who do not initially intend to do business with Pakistani firms. We are all part of a global economy and Pakistan is an increasingly important part of that global economy.
The issues that Pakistan faces as it gears up for the global high-tech marketplace are many of the same issues that both advanced and developing economies face elsewhere in the world, as both service providers and service consumers. Pakistan is making no effort to gloss over its challenges, which makes those challenges easier to address.
With a population of 160 million and a land area almost twice the size of California, Pakistan is a smaller and more unified country than most of its neighbors, which increases that nation's chances of solving its own problems and avoiding the mistakes that have plagued neighboring economies.
India Helps Pakistan
The biggest boost to Pakistan's efforts to break into the global IT marketplace came on September 28, when India's finance ministry announced an income tax of more than 36 percent on foreign firms with software, R&D and customer service operations in India. This tax proposal had been in the works since the beginning of the year and is expected to prompt U.S. firms to follow GE's lead in selling off assets in India.
Any Western business manager who initiated or approved the establishment of an IT production or R&D subsidiary in India in 2004 could find that decision to be a career-ending move unless they have built in financial reserves to accommodate both the tax scheme of September 28 and upcoming taxes still on the drawing board.
A proposal is under consideration in New Delhi to tax activities conducted over international private leased connections (IPLCs) that carry most of India's voice and data traffic to and from the outside world. There is also a proposal to replace state-to-state customs duties (octroi) with a national value added tax. Both those tax proposals could be combined into a single scheme.
U.S. IT brokerage firms, their U.S. clients and domestic Indian IT operations will be largely untouched by the September 28 tax scheme. But the traditional offshore migration path of outsourcing to an offshore location first -- before setting up captive operations there -- has been disrupted in India until economic reforms reduce the role of the Indian government in the economy and consequently reduce that nation's revenue requirements.
For Westerners with long-standing personal ties to India, that country's September 28 tax scheme could have both personal and financial consequences. For new Indian workers who hoped for a position with a Western firm based in India, that country's revenue policy will alter careers, lifestyles and futures. Westerners can pack up and look for other another country to set up operations. However, what country?
Pakistan's Advantages
Pakistan is the primary beneficiary of India's decision to tax foreign firms with captive IT operations in India. No other economy can match Pakistan's labor pool of educated English-speaking workers. No other economy can match Pakistan's scalability , reliability and low-cost environment.
Pakistan offers five advantages over India:
1. Western experience: Executives at IT firms in Pakistan often have worked and gone to school in the U.S., which is Pakistan's largest export market. Indian IT firms whose managers have worked in the West are generally more expensive than similarly positioned Indian firms, without always providing noticeable differences in program implementation capabilities. The willingness of Pakistanis to return home from the West stands in marked contrast to most Indians who arrive for school or work in the West and never look back.
2. Professionalism and integrity: The personal integrity of Pakistani managers is easy to identify and appreciate, especially by Westerners with business experience elsewhere in the region. However, the relatively open and trusting nature of Pakistanis has made them easy prey for Indian business brokers who have managed to cheat several Pakistani IT firms by offering to provide them with outsourcing contracts in exchange for up-front fees. The Pakistanis assumed that these Indians were open minded and charitable for coming to help less experienced firms in Pakistan gain access to international contracts, until the Indians took their money and disappeared.
3. Higher labor availability: Fewer holidays in Pakistan means less slippage in staff availability compared to India. IT firms in India are advised to hire a diverse workforce so that members of one community can enjoy important festivals while members of other communities cover the phones and keep production going.
4. Good accents: Pakistan's official language is English. Only Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and the Punjabi areas of India can come close to competing with accents in Pakistan, where many families speak English at home and where accent neutralization for non-native speakers of English is substantially easier than in India. Language skills and accents provide Pakistan with a major advantage over all other Asian outsourcing destinations.
5. Low cost talent pool: India's top-tier labor force for IT work has been stretched thin in many areas, especially Bangalore, where escalating wage rates, turnover and higher outsourcing prices are reaching critical mass at the same time that the urban infrastructure has exceeded its carrying capacity. Annual turnover rates reported to InternationalStaff.net for most merchant call center facilities in India at the beginning of November are approaching 100 percent. High turnover rates are causing a shift to second tier Indian cities and to Kolkata. Escalating turnover rates are one of the Indian outsourcing industry's dirty secrets. In comparison, Pakistan's top-tier talent pool is largely untapped and turnover rates are less than 20 percent.
Safety and Security
Pakistan is not without challenges, some of which are real (improving the telecommunications infrastructure) and some are exaggerated, especially in terms of the security situation. Once you have lived through a few riots in India, once you have taught yourself how to quickly turn the lights out and lay down on the floor because you are afraid of what might come through the window, then Pakistan doesn't seem so scary anymore.
The biggest danger that Westerners face in South Asia is from automobile accidents, particularly at night. India has over 8 times the number of highway fatalities per passenger mile than the U.S.
If you go looking for trouble, you will find it, whether in the back alleys of Karachi or the parking lots of many suburban U.S. shopping malls. Americans who have worked in both Karachi and Mumbai report that there is no discernable difference in the safety and security situation in both cities. The lack of reporting in the U.S. media on the occurrence of violent disturbances and general strikes in India, versus the close coverage often afforded to Pakistan, has created the illusion that Pakistani cities are somehow more dangerous than cities elsewhere in the region, especially for Americans.
The U.S. Department of State does not maintain accurate statistics on economically or personally motivated attacks against their own personnel in foreign countries. Nor does it collect accurate information on crimes committed against U.S. nationals in foreign countries. This leads U.S. citizens to avoid safe areas (for example, Islamabad) and to incur excessive risks in areas where Americans are routinely victimized (for example, Mexico City).
The U.S. government is not doing a good job at providing assistance for Americans who have been assaulted, robbed or otherwise victimized in foreign countries. If it did, there would likely be some accounting of those efforts, accounting that would demonstrate that Pakistan's major cities have been and continue to be a generally safe place for U.S. businesspeople and their families.
Shared Roles
Pakistan and the U.S. have similar roles when it comes to human rights. Both countries are a beacon of safety and a haven for refugees. The government of Pakistan has not been advertising this fact. The people who have fled to Pakistan from surrounding countries in the region have, on a one-to-one personal basis. They are Pakistan's best ambassadors.
Before making up your mind about Pakistan, talk to people who have left there or have passed through there. Their origins might be different but their stories are often tragically similar. Too often, it seems as if they are all reading from the same script: family members (or themselves) in neighboring countries who have been victimized, jailed, possibly tortured, relatives killed, and all survivors traumatized and dispossessed. Pakistan welcomes them and serves as a place of safety and security.
From Iran, Afghanistan, India and elsewhere they come, seeking the same things that immigrants to the U.S. have always sought: opportunity, liberty, freedom of religion and respect for personal beliefs.
Americans naturally identify with the underdogs, the runners up, the people who are trying harder than anyone else to succeed. This is why many Americans find it easy to identify with Pakistanis.
It is not necessary for Americans to take sides in disputes between India and Pakistan. Taking sides is not required. Long-term peaceful solutions are required.
Increased trade and joint projects between Pakistan and India will pull those two countries together and create incentives for peace. American firms doing business in one or both countries can contribute to peace through responsible business practices and the moderating effects that employment and prosperity provide. This can and should be accomplished when American firms are allowed to operate on an equal footing with local firms, which for now only appears possible in Pakistan.
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
By Anthony MitchellE-Commerce Times 12/24/04 5:00 AM PT
The biggest boost to Pakistan's efforts to break into the global IT marketplace came on September 28, when India's finance ministry announced an income tax of more than 36 percent on foreign firms with software, R&D and customer service operations in India. This tax proposal had been in the works since the beginning of the year and is expected to prompt U.S. firms to follow GE's lead in selling off assets in India.
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Why is Pakistan the hot new offshore information technology (IT) destination? This is because of a combination of favorable economic circumstances. Just when many Western managers are finally becoming comfortable with the idea of working closely with Indian IT firms, along comes Pakistan.
Pakistan is shaking off decades of "also ran" status. Funds invested into building educational institutions in Pakistan (when there were not enough jobs to absorb all the graduates from those institutions) are paying off as Pakistan begins to field a modern, highly productive labor force that is the envy of more prosperous but less tech savvy nations elsewhere in the region.
Why Care?
Why should the average Western IT professional, businessperson or IT consumer care? Because we are all going to be buying and using more IT outputs from Pakistan. To be a smarter buyer and user of IT products calls for a familiarity with Pakistan, even for those who do not initially intend to do business with Pakistani firms. We are all part of a global economy and Pakistan is an increasingly important part of that global economy.
The issues that Pakistan faces as it gears up for the global high-tech marketplace are many of the same issues that both advanced and developing economies face elsewhere in the world, as both service providers and service consumers. Pakistan is making no effort to gloss over its challenges, which makes those challenges easier to address.
With a population of 160 million and a land area almost twice the size of California, Pakistan is a smaller and more unified country than most of its neighbors, which increases that nation's chances of solving its own problems and avoiding the mistakes that have plagued neighboring economies.
India Helps Pakistan
The biggest boost to Pakistan's efforts to break into the global IT marketplace came on September 28, when India's finance ministry announced an income tax of more than 36 percent on foreign firms with software, R&D and customer service operations in India. This tax proposal had been in the works since the beginning of the year and is expected to prompt U.S. firms to follow GE's lead in selling off assets in India.
Any Western business manager who initiated or approved the establishment of an IT production or R&D subsidiary in India in 2004 could find that decision to be a career-ending move unless they have built in financial reserves to accommodate both the tax scheme of September 28 and upcoming taxes still on the drawing board.
A proposal is under consideration in New Delhi to tax activities conducted over international private leased connections (IPLCs) that carry most of India's voice and data traffic to and from the outside world. There is also a proposal to replace state-to-state customs duties (octroi) with a national value added tax. Both those tax proposals could be combined into a single scheme.
U.S. IT brokerage firms, their U.S. clients and domestic Indian IT operations will be largely untouched by the September 28 tax scheme. But the traditional offshore migration path of outsourcing to an offshore location first -- before setting up captive operations there -- has been disrupted in India until economic reforms reduce the role of the Indian government in the economy and consequently reduce that nation's revenue requirements.
For Westerners with long-standing personal ties to India, that country's September 28 tax scheme could have both personal and financial consequences. For new Indian workers who hoped for a position with a Western firm based in India, that country's revenue policy will alter careers, lifestyles and futures. Westerners can pack up and look for other another country to set up operations. However, what country?
Pakistan's Advantages
Pakistan is the primary beneficiary of India's decision to tax foreign firms with captive IT operations in India. No other economy can match Pakistan's labor pool of educated English-speaking workers. No other economy can match Pakistan's scalability , reliability and low-cost environment.
Pakistan offers five advantages over India:
1. Western experience: Executives at IT firms in Pakistan often have worked and gone to school in the U.S., which is Pakistan's largest export market. Indian IT firms whose managers have worked in the West are generally more expensive than similarly positioned Indian firms, without always providing noticeable differences in program implementation capabilities. The willingness of Pakistanis to return home from the West stands in marked contrast to most Indians who arrive for school or work in the West and never look back.
2. Professionalism and integrity: The personal integrity of Pakistani managers is easy to identify and appreciate, especially by Westerners with business experience elsewhere in the region. However, the relatively open and trusting nature of Pakistanis has made them easy prey for Indian business brokers who have managed to cheat several Pakistani IT firms by offering to provide them with outsourcing contracts in exchange for up-front fees. The Pakistanis assumed that these Indians were open minded and charitable for coming to help less experienced firms in Pakistan gain access to international contracts, until the Indians took their money and disappeared.
3. Higher labor availability: Fewer holidays in Pakistan means less slippage in staff availability compared to India. IT firms in India are advised to hire a diverse workforce so that members of one community can enjoy important festivals while members of other communities cover the phones and keep production going.
4. Good accents: Pakistan's official language is English. Only Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and the Punjabi areas of India can come close to competing with accents in Pakistan, where many families speak English at home and where accent neutralization for non-native speakers of English is substantially easier than in India. Language skills and accents provide Pakistan with a major advantage over all other Asian outsourcing destinations.
5. Low cost talent pool: India's top-tier labor force for IT work has been stretched thin in many areas, especially Bangalore, where escalating wage rates, turnover and higher outsourcing prices are reaching critical mass at the same time that the urban infrastructure has exceeded its carrying capacity. Annual turnover rates reported to InternationalStaff.net for most merchant call center facilities in India at the beginning of November are approaching 100 percent. High turnover rates are causing a shift to second tier Indian cities and to Kolkata. Escalating turnover rates are one of the Indian outsourcing industry's dirty secrets. In comparison, Pakistan's top-tier talent pool is largely untapped and turnover rates are less than 20 percent.
Safety and Security
Pakistan is not without challenges, some of which are real (improving the telecommunications infrastructure) and some are exaggerated, especially in terms of the security situation. Once you have lived through a few riots in India, once you have taught yourself how to quickly turn the lights out and lay down on the floor because you are afraid of what might come through the window, then Pakistan doesn't seem so scary anymore.
The biggest danger that Westerners face in South Asia is from automobile accidents, particularly at night. India has over 8 times the number of highway fatalities per passenger mile than the U.S.
If you go looking for trouble, you will find it, whether in the back alleys of Karachi or the parking lots of many suburban U.S. shopping malls. Americans who have worked in both Karachi and Mumbai report that there is no discernable difference in the safety and security situation in both cities. The lack of reporting in the U.S. media on the occurrence of violent disturbances and general strikes in India, versus the close coverage often afforded to Pakistan, has created the illusion that Pakistani cities are somehow more dangerous than cities elsewhere in the region, especially for Americans.
The U.S. Department of State does not maintain accurate statistics on economically or personally motivated attacks against their own personnel in foreign countries. Nor does it collect accurate information on crimes committed against U.S. nationals in foreign countries. This leads U.S. citizens to avoid safe areas (for example, Islamabad) and to incur excessive risks in areas where Americans are routinely victimized (for example, Mexico City).
The U.S. government is not doing a good job at providing assistance for Americans who have been assaulted, robbed or otherwise victimized in foreign countries. If it did, there would likely be some accounting of those efforts, accounting that would demonstrate that Pakistan's major cities have been and continue to be a generally safe place for U.S. businesspeople and their families.
Shared Roles
Pakistan and the U.S. have similar roles when it comes to human rights. Both countries are a beacon of safety and a haven for refugees. The government of Pakistan has not been advertising this fact. The people who have fled to Pakistan from surrounding countries in the region have, on a one-to-one personal basis. They are Pakistan's best ambassadors.
Before making up your mind about Pakistan, talk to people who have left there or have passed through there. Their origins might be different but their stories are often tragically similar. Too often, it seems as if they are all reading from the same script: family members (or themselves) in neighboring countries who have been victimized, jailed, possibly tortured, relatives killed, and all survivors traumatized and dispossessed. Pakistan welcomes them and serves as a place of safety and security.
From Iran, Afghanistan, India and elsewhere they come, seeking the same things that immigrants to the U.S. have always sought: opportunity, liberty, freedom of religion and respect for personal beliefs.
Americans naturally identify with the underdogs, the runners up, the people who are trying harder than anyone else to succeed. This is why many Americans find it easy to identify with Pakistanis.
It is not necessary for Americans to take sides in disputes between India and Pakistan. Taking sides is not required. Long-term peaceful solutions are required.
Increased trade and joint projects between Pakistan and India will pull those two countries together and create incentives for peace. American firms doing business in one or both countries can contribute to peace through responsible business practices and the moderating effects that employment and prosperity provide. This can and should be accomplished when American firms are allowed to operate on an equal footing with local firms, which for now only appears possible in Pakistan.
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
Saturday, December 18, 2004
STUDENTS CONFERENCE ON ENGINEERING SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY(SCONEST 2004)
REGISTRATION FOR SCONEST 2004
VENUE FOR DAY 1:JINNNAH UNIVERSITY FOR WOMENVENUE FOR DAY 2:PAF KIET
STUDENTS CONFERENCE ON ENGINEERING SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY(SCONEST 2004) is an annual event, which was held for the first time in 2002.SCONEST2004 covers all disciplines under IEEE domain.This event is being jointly organised by IEEE student branches at Grad School Of Engineering Sciences and Information Technology,Jinnah University For Women,NED university Of Engineering And Technology,PAF KIET in association with IEEE Karachi section. The basic conference theme of this year is "Technologies for Human Prosperity"
PROGRAMS FOR DAY1
TECHNICAL SESSION 1: NEXT GENERATION NETWORKSTECHNICAL SESSION 2: HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTINGWORKSHOP: SAPPANEL DISCUSSION 1:INTERNET BANKING
PROGRAMS FOR DAY 2
TECHNICAL SESSION 3:CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONTECHNICAL SESSION 4:BROADBAND COMMUNICATIONPANEL DISCUSSION II:PROSPECTS OF CALL CENTRES IN PAKISTAN.
For more info visit http://www.ieee.org/sconest/2004/For registration please contact :6620857-58-59 6619902
Below are the important dates regarding SCONEST 2004. Please note that these dates are subject to change without notice. Therefore, keep visiting this page to stay updated.
Full Paper Submission November 25, 2004.
Confirmation of Acceptance by Technical Committee December 13, 2004.
Final Camera Ready manuscript due December 18 2004.
SCONEST 2004 Day 1: Jinnah University for Women December 29, 2004.
SCONEST 2004 Day 2: PAF Karachi Institue of Economics & Technology December 30, 2004.
SCONEST 2004 is being organized by the IEEE Karachi Section and IEEE Student Branch members at JUW, PAF-KIET, NEDUET and GSESIT-HU.
Conference Chair
Nadia Naz
(JUW)
Co-Chair
Shahbaz Shiekh
(PAF-KIET)
Vice Chairs
Saboohi NaeemSyed Asim Ali
(JUW)(PAF-KIET)
Secretary
Azam Hashmi
(PAF-KIET)
Joint Secretary
Anum Ansari
(JUW)
Treasurers
Farah HussainFahad Farzand Shah
(JUW)(PAF-KIET)
Our postal addresses are:
SCONEST 2004 Conference Secretariat,Department of Computer Science & IT,Jinnah University for Women 5-C Nazimabad, Karachi - 74600Tel: (92-21) 6620857-59, (92-21) 6619902 Fax: (92-21) 6620614http://www.juw.edu.pk/
SCONEST 2004 Conference Secretariat,Department of Engineering,PAF-KIET Main Campus,PAF Base Korangi Creek, Karachi - 75190Tel: (92-21) 5091114-7 Fax: (92-21) 5091118http://www.pafkiet.edu.pk/
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
VENUE FOR DAY 1:JINNNAH UNIVERSITY FOR WOMENVENUE FOR DAY 2:PAF KIET
STUDENTS CONFERENCE ON ENGINEERING SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY(SCONEST 2004) is an annual event, which was held for the first time in 2002.SCONEST2004 covers all disciplines under IEEE domain.This event is being jointly organised by IEEE student branches at Grad School Of Engineering Sciences and Information Technology,Jinnah University For Women,NED university Of Engineering And Technology,PAF KIET in association with IEEE Karachi section. The basic conference theme of this year is "Technologies for Human Prosperity"
PROGRAMS FOR DAY1
TECHNICAL SESSION 1: NEXT GENERATION NETWORKSTECHNICAL SESSION 2: HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTINGWORKSHOP: SAPPANEL DISCUSSION 1:INTERNET BANKING
PROGRAMS FOR DAY 2
TECHNICAL SESSION 3:CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONTECHNICAL SESSION 4:BROADBAND COMMUNICATIONPANEL DISCUSSION II:PROSPECTS OF CALL CENTRES IN PAKISTAN.
For more info visit http://www.ieee.org/sconest/2004/For registration please contact :6620857-58-59 6619902
Below are the important dates regarding SCONEST 2004. Please note that these dates are subject to change without notice. Therefore, keep visiting this page to stay updated.
Full Paper Submission November 25, 2004.
Confirmation of Acceptance by Technical Committee December 13, 2004.
Final Camera Ready manuscript due December 18 2004.
SCONEST 2004 Day 1: Jinnah University for Women December 29, 2004.
SCONEST 2004 Day 2: PAF Karachi Institue of Economics & Technology December 30, 2004.
SCONEST 2004 is being organized by the IEEE Karachi Section and IEEE Student Branch members at JUW, PAF-KIET, NEDUET and GSESIT-HU.
Conference Chair
Nadia Naz
(JUW)
Co-Chair
Shahbaz Shiekh
(PAF-KIET)
Vice Chairs
Saboohi NaeemSyed Asim Ali
(JUW)(PAF-KIET)
Secretary
Azam Hashmi
(PAF-KIET)
Joint Secretary
Anum Ansari
(JUW)
Treasurers
Farah HussainFahad Farzand Shah
(JUW)(PAF-KIET)
Our postal addresses are:
SCONEST 2004 Conference Secretariat,Department of Computer Science & IT,Jinnah University for Women 5-C Nazimabad, Karachi - 74600Tel: (92-21) 6620857-59, (92-21) 6619902 Fax: (92-21) 6620614http://www.juw.edu.pk/
SCONEST 2004 Conference Secretariat,Department of Engineering,PAF-KIET Main Campus,PAF Base Korangi Creek, Karachi - 75190Tel: (92-21) 5091114-7 Fax: (92-21) 5091118http://www.pafkiet.edu.pk/
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
HONETCON Optical Network Confrence 2004
National University of Sciences and Technology, NUST and University ofNorth Carolina Charlotte, UNCC, USA, have collaboratively organized a4-day workshop on “High Capacity Optical Networks & Enabling Technologies”from Dec 28 – Dec 31, 2004 in Marriot Islamabad.Twelve experts from USA will deliver talks on the state of the arttechnologies. So don’t miss this first of its kind event. Avail thediscounted rates (till Dec 16, 2004) and get registered today.
Note: Profiles of speakers and abstract of invited talks can be viewed at
http://www.honetcon-nsf.uncc.edu
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
Note: Profiles of speakers and abstract of invited talks can be viewed at
http://www.honetcon-nsf.uncc.edu
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
Saturday, December 04, 2004
KARACHI: Royal navy ship arrives
KARACHI, Dec 3: The British Royal Navy Ship, HMS ECHO, is paying an informal visit to Karachi from Dec 2 to 4. The vessel has been conducting military data gathering in the Northern Arabian Gulf since January this year as part of Britain's commitment to improve the safe navigation of both merchant and military vessels operating in an area that has not been surveyed to modern standards for many years, it was stated. Despite having been commissioned for less than two years, the ECHO has spent half her time to-date in the Middle East performing a myriad of planned and short notice survey operations. It was further pointed out that the time spent operating in the area had enabled the ship to demonstrate her versatility and value to the Royal Navy and coalition allies. The ECHO is equipped with modern sensors capable of collecting data from every element of the marine environment. The survey produced utilizing her state-of-the-art integrated survey suite delivers a product far superior than anything previously seen. The vessel has spent a couple of months out of the area participating in a joint five-powers exercise in the Far East. She is expected to return to the UK in late spring of 2005. -APP
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
KARACHI: PEC issued notice on students' plea
KARACHI, Dec 3: The Pakistan Engineering Council, the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited and federal secretary education were put on notice by a division bench of Sindh High Court comprising Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad and Justice Maqbool Baqar. The bench was hearing a constitution petition filed by Muhammad Ali Shehzad, Dad Ali and other graduates of DCET, who moved the court against denial of their registration as engineer. According to the petitioners, they were admitted to Dawood College of Engineering and Technology after nomination by their respective provincial governments against provincial quota. They passed professional examination from Mehran Engineering University and applied for appointment in PTCL which sought their registration with the PEC. When the petitioners moved the PEC for the purpose, their request was rejected on the ground that the PEC had cancelled the accreditation of the DCET. Islam Hussain advocate appearing for the petitioners submitted that if the situation had been in the knowledge of provincial government, no nominations would have been made for the DCET. He maintained that petitioners had no nexus with the controversy between the DECT and the PEC. The bench after hearing the initial arguments issued notice to the respondents for a date to be fixed later by the office of the court. Meanwhile, the same bench issued notice to Sindh Secretary Health and Bahria Institute of Technology while hearing a petition filed by Saima Noor Shaikh, a candidate for admission to Chandka Medical College. Muhammad Nawaz Shaikh advocate appearing for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner appeared in the entry test conducted by the Bahria Institute of Technology. He said that the petitioner had attempted 90 objective questions while left 10 unanswered. When the result was announced, she was astonished to see that she was shown to have attempted 94 questions, four of which were wrong and therefore negative marking made her ineligible for admission. After initial arguments, the court issued notices to respondents for a date to be fixed later by the office of the court.
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
KARACHI: Cold weather bad for asthmatics
KARACHI, Dec 3: Cold and dry weather may aggravate the condition of patients suffering from various respiratory ailments in general and asthma in particular. Asthmatic persons have been advised to take preventive medicines after consulting their doctors besides taking other precautionary measures to avoid acute attacks. The Head, Department of Chest Diseases, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Dr Nadeem Rizvi, said, "Patients often stop medicines with the stabilization of weather and do not resume it with the change in weather. They should take preventive medicines regularly," he added. About 10 per cent of adults and 15-19 per cent of young children usually suffer from asthma. Such patients should avoid intake of dry fruits if allergic to them. They should also avoid excessive exposure to cold that could lead to flu and cough. The pressure of patients is seen increasing nowadays in chest wards and out patient departments in Karachi's hospitals, as many people suffer from various chest infections, including asthma, chronic bronchitis, pneumonia etc, due to the cold weather and burning of garbage in the city especially residential areas," he said. Asthmatic patients should use blankets after keeping them in daylight for two days, as it carries house dust mites that can worsen asthma. - PPI
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
KARACHI: Contaminated water supply in Lyari
KARACHI, Dec 3: Houses, apartment buildings and commercial concerns on Lyari's Gul Mohammad Lane and Tannery Road's Street No 23 are getting contaminated for the last four days. Residents of the affected locality said sewage might be mixing with drinking water somewhere in the KWSB system as they had been receiving contaminated water. "It is for the second time during the last two months that we are facing such a problem and one will be surprised to know that when we discussed the issue with a KWSB engineer, he attributed the issue to non-availability of electricity at a pumping station in Chakiwara No 1," a resident of the locality said. Apprehending that diseases might break out in the locality owing to consumption of filthy water, residents of the affected locality demanded of the KWSB managing director to instruct the officials concerned to immediately rectify the fault as they cannot afford to buy private tankers for such a long period. SHORTAGE: Complaints of water shortage have also been received from Clifton's Block 2, Orangi Town's Ghausia Baloch Colony and Benazir Colony, parts of Saeedabad and Keamari. Residents of Clifton's Block 2 said although the root cause of water shortage in their locality was illegal connections given from their pipeline to some influential people, the KWSB officials were not taking action against such illegal connections. A UC councillor of Orangi claimed that he and the UC Nazim had apprised the KWSB officials about leaking pipelines, but no measures have been taken to plug them. Meanwhile, water gushing out from leaking pipelines is not only causing water shortage in different localities of UC-9, but was also damaging roads and streets where it often remains stagnant. A KWSB spokesman said on Friday that the KESC would carry out repair work at the Dhabeji Grid Station on Sunday, owing to which electricity would remain suspended at pumping stations in Phase Nos II and IV for seven hours. The spokesman further said that owing to power supply disruption, the city would experience a 50mgd water shortfall. However, supply from Dhabeji Pumping Station Phase No I and III would continue.
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
Enrichment resumption in 6 months, says Iran
TEHRAN, Dec 3: Iran will resume enriching uranium after a maximum of six months, powerful former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani vowed on Friday, reaffirming that Tehran's freeze on nuclear fuel cycle work is only temporary. "The last word is after this period, which I do not assume will exceed six months ... we must seriously and firmly follow enrichment programmes and use the very important advantages of nuclear technology," he said. "So far, we have reached the point that we accept to suspend parts of our activities for a period that was not necessary at all. Our negotiators have tried to shorten this period and we interpret it to be about two, three months up to six months," the prominent cleric said at Friday prayers. Earlier this week the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) spared Iran the fate of being referred to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions after Tehran agreed in a deal with Britain, France and Germany to suspend its uranium enrichment programme. Rafsanjani also had sharp words for the positions of the IAEA and Western countries during negotiations over the nuclear programme. "We should be dissatisfied with them. They owe to us and have done injustice to us. Iran's activities are (allowed) under legal rights given to all countries to use nuclear technology for non-military purposes." Referring to the US objection towards Iran's access to the fuel cycle, Rafsanjani said: "They are after the free home, oil reserves and this important geographical region, which have been taken from them after the Iran's Islamic revolution." -AFP
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
Sunday, October 31, 2004
US, Pakistan Launch Cooperative Science and Technology Projects
WASHINGTON, October 29 (Online): The United States and Pakistan are joining forces to build Pakistan's science and technology capacity, contributing a combined $3 million for 2004 and $5.5 million for 2005 for projects that focus on improving education and creating technical links between the countries.
Eighteen cooperative projects for 2004 were officially launched September 28-29 in Islamabad at the first joint committee meeting under the U.S.-Pakistan Science and Technology Agreement.
The projects, funded with $1 million from Pakistan -- $500,000 each from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) and the Higher Education Committee -- and $2 million from the United States, include supplying scientific journal content to the nationwide university digital library system, bringing telemedicine capabilities to rural areas, creating linkages between U.S. and Pakistan scientific centers of excellence, and improving Pakistan's water quality.
"The Pakistan Science and Technology Agreement is very exciting," said Lee Morin, deputy assistant secretary for health, space and science at the U.S. Department of State and leader of the U.S. delegation to Pakistan.
"It represents a reinvigoration of an agreement that came out of a 2002 meeting at Camp David between President Bush and Pakistani President [Pervez] Musharraf. It provides a mechanism for U.S. federal technical agencies to work with a foreign government."
The joint committee -- co-chaired by Morin and Shehryar Khan, MoST joint technical adviser -- reviewed more than 50 submitted proposals, the majority from Pakistan, from which the final 18 projects were chosen.
The selection process was overseen by State Department Senior Science Officer Barrett Ripin and MoST Joint Scientific Advisor Atta-ur-Rahman. Rahman is an internationally renowned expert in natural products chemistry and the author of 35 technical books. He also was instrumental in generating U.S. enthusiasm for the agreement, Ripin said.
Shortly after the Bush-Musharraf meeting in 2002, Ripin said, "Minister Rahman came to Washington and held a meeting with the science and technology community, technical agencies and others ... and outlined what Pakistan was doing in science and technology. Rahman wowed the crowd with his command of and forward thinking about how to improve or increase Pakistan's capacity through upgrading the education system and information technology."
After the meeting, Ripin added, "Rahman challenged the United States to engage in a science and technology program of substance by offering $500,000 of Pakistan money if the United States would match it two to one."
Later, when the United States pledged $2 million, Rahman raised Pakistan's contribution to $1 million.
"Each of the 18 projects," Ripin said, "is designed to foster links between U.S. and Pakistan people and institutions, build civilian science and technology capacity, and emphasize education."
The largest single project in the education area involves supplying scientific journal content. The U.S. National Academies of Science will help the Higher Education Committee purchase licenses for major science, technology and engineering journals, which will be integrated into Pakistan's existing digital library system.
A class of projects called linkages, Ripin said, is designed to enhance or create links between centers of excellence in Pakistan and counterparts in the United States, and links between scientists and students.
"In the first year there is an emphasis on health and physical sciences," he said. "These linkages not only provide opportunities for Pakistani students and faculty to collaborate with U.S. counterparts, but also the reverse."
In another set of projects, the Pakistan Council for Renewable Water Resources received funding to improve Pakistan's water resources by collaborating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Department of Energy. Projects include collaborating on agricultural watershed management, helping design a water quality measurement program, and developing a desalination facility to provide a reliable source of drinking water.
"Drinking water is a critical resource for sustainable development," Morin said. "It's an important need and the Pakistanis have done important work in this area," including developing practical, low-cost, quantitative chemical test kits for detecting arsenic, bacteria, and other contaminants in drinking water.
In an effort to help Pakistan build its credibility in the world community and its own capacity in a number of areas, Ripin said, three projects link the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology to Pakistan's National Accreditation Council and the Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority.
The aim is to build Pakistan's capacity in physical metrology (the science of measurements), standards development and quality management capacity, Ripin said.
Another capacity-building project is a telemedicine collaboration between the Pakistanis and U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command. "Two Pakistani medical doctors trained for a month with the Army Medical Center at Fort Detrick in Maryland so they could set up a model program in 2005 [in Islamabad]," Ripin said.
Looking ahead to 2005, the State Department and the joint committee are working to institutionalize the process of science and technology collaboration between Pakistan and the United States. The Pakistani government pledged $3.5 million for fiscal year 2005 and the United States pledged $2 million.
Soon, Ripin said, the joint committee will put out a call for proposals for $5.5 million worth of projects for 2005. "They will be peer reviewed and go through a process of selection on technical merit," he said, "and how well they fit with the capacity-building emphasis.
"I'm told that the program is being viewed within the State Department as a model for U.S. engagement with countries in the developing world," Ripin said. "We're looking forward to another year."
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
Eighteen cooperative projects for 2004 were officially launched September 28-29 in Islamabad at the first joint committee meeting under the U.S.-Pakistan Science and Technology Agreement.
The projects, funded with $1 million from Pakistan -- $500,000 each from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) and the Higher Education Committee -- and $2 million from the United States, include supplying scientific journal content to the nationwide university digital library system, bringing telemedicine capabilities to rural areas, creating linkages between U.S. and Pakistan scientific centers of excellence, and improving Pakistan's water quality.
"The Pakistan Science and Technology Agreement is very exciting," said Lee Morin, deputy assistant secretary for health, space and science at the U.S. Department of State and leader of the U.S. delegation to Pakistan.
"It represents a reinvigoration of an agreement that came out of a 2002 meeting at Camp David between President Bush and Pakistani President [Pervez] Musharraf. It provides a mechanism for U.S. federal technical agencies to work with a foreign government."
The joint committee -- co-chaired by Morin and Shehryar Khan, MoST joint technical adviser -- reviewed more than 50 submitted proposals, the majority from Pakistan, from which the final 18 projects were chosen.
The selection process was overseen by State Department Senior Science Officer Barrett Ripin and MoST Joint Scientific Advisor Atta-ur-Rahman. Rahman is an internationally renowned expert in natural products chemistry and the author of 35 technical books. He also was instrumental in generating U.S. enthusiasm for the agreement, Ripin said.
Shortly after the Bush-Musharraf meeting in 2002, Ripin said, "Minister Rahman came to Washington and held a meeting with the science and technology community, technical agencies and others ... and outlined what Pakistan was doing in science and technology. Rahman wowed the crowd with his command of and forward thinking about how to improve or increase Pakistan's capacity through upgrading the education system and information technology."
After the meeting, Ripin added, "Rahman challenged the United States to engage in a science and technology program of substance by offering $500,000 of Pakistan money if the United States would match it two to one."
Later, when the United States pledged $2 million, Rahman raised Pakistan's contribution to $1 million.
"Each of the 18 projects," Ripin said, "is designed to foster links between U.S. and Pakistan people and institutions, build civilian science and technology capacity, and emphasize education."
The largest single project in the education area involves supplying scientific journal content. The U.S. National Academies of Science will help the Higher Education Committee purchase licenses for major science, technology and engineering journals, which will be integrated into Pakistan's existing digital library system.
A class of projects called linkages, Ripin said, is designed to enhance or create links between centers of excellence in Pakistan and counterparts in the United States, and links between scientists and students.
"In the first year there is an emphasis on health and physical sciences," he said. "These linkages not only provide opportunities for Pakistani students and faculty to collaborate with U.S. counterparts, but also the reverse."
In another set of projects, the Pakistan Council for Renewable Water Resources received funding to improve Pakistan's water resources by collaborating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Department of Energy. Projects include collaborating on agricultural watershed management, helping design a water quality measurement program, and developing a desalination facility to provide a reliable source of drinking water.
"Drinking water is a critical resource for sustainable development," Morin said. "It's an important need and the Pakistanis have done important work in this area," including developing practical, low-cost, quantitative chemical test kits for detecting arsenic, bacteria, and other contaminants in drinking water.
In an effort to help Pakistan build its credibility in the world community and its own capacity in a number of areas, Ripin said, three projects link the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology to Pakistan's National Accreditation Council and the Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority.
The aim is to build Pakistan's capacity in physical metrology (the science of measurements), standards development and quality management capacity, Ripin said.
Another capacity-building project is a telemedicine collaboration between the Pakistanis and U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command. "Two Pakistani medical doctors trained for a month with the Army Medical Center at Fort Detrick in Maryland so they could set up a model program in 2005 [in Islamabad]," Ripin said.
Looking ahead to 2005, the State Department and the joint committee are working to institutionalize the process of science and technology collaboration between Pakistan and the United States. The Pakistani government pledged $3.5 million for fiscal year 2005 and the United States pledged $2 million.
Soon, Ripin said, the joint committee will put out a call for proposals for $5.5 million worth of projects for 2005. "They will be peer reviewed and go through a process of selection on technical merit," he said, "and how well they fit with the capacity-building emphasis.
"I'm told that the program is being viewed within the State Department as a model for U.S. engagement with countries in the developing world," Ripin said. "We're looking forward to another year."
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
US to assist Pak build science, tech projects
Press Trust of India
Washington, October 28: The US is assisting Pakistan to build its science and technology capacity and 18 cooperative projects were recently launched to achieve this aim, a senior official has said.
The two countries have joined forces, contributing a combined $3 million for 2004 and $5.5 million for 2005 for projects that focus on improving education and creating technical links between the countries, he said.
Eighteen cooperative projects for 2004 were officially launched in September this year in Islamabad at the first joint committee meeting under the US-Pakistan science and technology agreement.
The projects, funded with $1 million from Pakistan --$500,000 each from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the higher education committee -- and $2 million from the US, include supplying scientific journal content to the nationwide university digital library system, and bringing telemedicine capabilities to rural areas.
"The Pakistan science and technology agreement is very exciting," said Lee Morin, deputy assistant secretary for health, space and science at the US Department of State and Leader of the American delegation to Pakistan.
"It represents a reinvigoration of an agreement that came out of a 2002 meeting at Camp David between President Bush (George W) and Pakistani President (Pervez) Musharraf. It provides a mechanism for US federal technical agencies to work with a foreign government."
The joint committee -- co-chaired by Morin and Shehryar Khan, most joint technical adviser -- reviewed more than 50 submitted proposals, the majority from Pakistan, from which the final 18 projects were chosen.
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
Washington, October 28: The US is assisting Pakistan to build its science and technology capacity and 18 cooperative projects were recently launched to achieve this aim, a senior official has said.
The two countries have joined forces, contributing a combined $3 million for 2004 and $5.5 million for 2005 for projects that focus on improving education and creating technical links between the countries, he said.
Eighteen cooperative projects for 2004 were officially launched in September this year in Islamabad at the first joint committee meeting under the US-Pakistan science and technology agreement.
The projects, funded with $1 million from Pakistan --$500,000 each from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the higher education committee -- and $2 million from the US, include supplying scientific journal content to the nationwide university digital library system, and bringing telemedicine capabilities to rural areas.
"The Pakistan science and technology agreement is very exciting," said Lee Morin, deputy assistant secretary for health, space and science at the US Department of State and Leader of the American delegation to Pakistan.
"It represents a reinvigoration of an agreement that came out of a 2002 meeting at Camp David between President Bush (George W) and Pakistani President (Pervez) Musharraf. It provides a mechanism for US federal technical agencies to work with a foreign government."
The joint committee -- co-chaired by Morin and Shehryar Khan, most joint technical adviser -- reviewed more than 50 submitted proposals, the majority from Pakistan, from which the final 18 projects were chosen.
======================================================
Copyright C. 2002 - 2004
Pakistan Science and Engineering Forum (R)
"Kindling the Flame of Science in Pakistan (TM)"
PakSEF (TM) Daily Science News Update
=====================================================
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