Pakistan --- Roads to a Bright Future Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rahm an, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Pakistan --- Roads to a Bright Future

• Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rahm an, FRS

UNESCO Science Laureate

The Four Pillars for Progress

• Education

Education

• Science & Technology

Science & Technology

• Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

• Visionary, Honest & Technologically

Visionary, Honest & Technologically Competent Leadership Competent Leadership

Truth Stranger than Fiction !

Genomics Genomics Stem Cells Stem Cells Material Sciences Material Sciences Nano Nano-

• materials

materials---

• -- Bucky

Bucky Balls Balls Memory polymers Memory polymers Composites Composites ---

• -- paper stronger than steel

paper stronger than steel Alternative Energy Alternative Energy ITER Project ITER Project Neuroscience Neuroscience (patch clamp) (patch clamp)

Hippocampal Neurons Patch Clamp Electrode

Truth Stranger than Fiction ! !

• Seeds No Longer Needed

Seeds No Longer Needed

• Luminescent Orchids

Luminescent Orchids

• Cars Running on Air !

Cars Running on Air !

• Aeroplanes

Aeroplanes flying without internal fuel flying without internal fuel

• Paralysed moving wheel chairs

Paralysed moving wheel chairs---

• -- with

with thought control thought control

• Seeing with the Tongue

Seeing with the Tongue

Cyborg Cyborg beetle beetle: a giant flower beetle with a

: a giant flower beetle with a processor and implanting electrodes processor and implanting electrodes -

• a

a living machine whose flight can be living machine whose flight can be wirelessly controlled wirelessly controlled

Wireless light Wireless light

Magnetic resonance coupling Magnetic resonance coupling to power a 60 to power a 60-

• watt light bulb. Tuned to the same frequency,

watt light bulb. Tuned to the same frequency, two 60 two 60-

• centimeter copper coils can transmit

centimeter copper coils can transmit electricity over a distance of several meters, electricity over a distance of several meters, through the air and around an obstacle through the air and around an obstacle. . Any low Any low-

• power device, such as a cell phone,

power device, such as a cell phone, iPod iPod, or laptop, could recharge automatically , or laptop, could recharge automatically

Requirem ents for Rapid Progress

• Human capital

Human capital with knowledge with knowledge and skills and skills

• Technology

Technology

• Innovation/Entrepreneurship

Innovation/Entrepreneurship Infrastructure Infrastructure and incentives to innovate and incentives to innovate Technology Technology ---

• -- acting like a huge suction pump

acting like a huge suction pump ---

• taking away the wealth of developing countries

taking away the wealth of developing countries -

• -eg
• eg. Cars

. Cars ---

• Alas

Alas ---

• --The Illusion of Progress !!

The Illusion of Progress !!

9

Impact of just one institution---- MIT

MIT graduates and faculty have founded

4000 companies

Employ: 1.1 million people Annual Sales: $240 billion Collectively these companies are the 18th

largest economy in the World!

Pakistan---An Exciting Beginning !!

• My appointment as Federal Minister of

My appointment as Federal Minister of Science & Technology and Federal Science & Technology and Federal Minister Minister-

• Chairman Higher Education

Chairman Higher Education Commission (2000 Commission (2000-

• 2008)

2008)

6000% increase in budget of 6000% increase in budget of Science & Technology Science & Technology 2400% increase in budget of 2400% increase in budget of higher education higher education

Challenge: How do we attract our brightest to Education/Research ?

Pakistan has 85 million below age 19

(54% of population) !

• Both a Challenge and an Opportunity

Both a Challenge and an Opportunity

• It is the brightest among them who must

It is the brightest among them who must provide the leadership in all fields provide the leadership in all fields---

• education, S&T, Government

education, S&T, Government

• HOW ??

• 1)

1) Excite young minds about the wonders about the wonders

• f science !
• f science !
• 2)

2) Select and train the Brightest in top universities abroad

• 3)

3) Attract them back---

• - by creating an

by creating an enabling environment : enabling environment :

• Salaries
• Research Funding
• Access to Literature/ Instrumentation
• Critical Mass—create clusters !

Attracting the Brightest Attracting the Brightest !

!

Dramatic Change in Salary

Structures/Benefits

Under new “Tenure Track” system salaries

• f Professors raised to over US $ 5,000 per

month (equal to US$ 7,000 per month after tax concessions)---five times more than Federal Ministers in Government !

Performance based system Performance based system

75% Tax waiver for University Teachers (maximum 5%)

Massive Foreign scholarship programs

• Nearly 11,000 awarded (mostly for

Nearly 11,000 awarded (mostly for Europe) Europe)

• World

World’ ’s largest Fulbright Scholarship s largest Fulbright Scholarship program for the US program for the US

• Each returning scholar given access

Each returning scholar given access to $ 100,000 research fund to $ 100,000 research fund with with guaranteed jobs at excellent salaries guaranteed jobs at excellent salaries

• n tenure track system
• n tenure track system

About US$ 1 Billion being spent on

Foreign Scholarships (1500 in IT)

Indigenous PhD programs promoted

Local (Need Based) Scholarships

Son of Hari

Daughter of Shopkeeper

Financial Analyst

17

Distribution of Approved Project Cost Distribution of Approved Project Cost

A Focus on Quality Assurance

• Four year undergraduate program

Four year undergraduate program

• Standardisation of Degree Programmes

Standardisation of Degree Programmes

• Quality Assurance Structure

Quality Assurance Structure

• Min. Eligibility Criteria for Appointments of
• Min. Eligibility Criteria for Appointments of

Faculty and Faculty and M.Phil M.Phil/PhD Degrees /PhD Degrees

18 18

19 19

August 14, 2000 29 Cities

Spread of Internet Services in Cities & Towns of Pakistan Information Technology

1050 2000 580 29

500 1000 1500 2000 2500 1 9 9 1 1 9 9 2 1 9 9 3 1 9 9 4 1 9 9 5 1 9 9 6 1 9 9 7 1 9 9 8 1 9 9 9 2 2 1 2 2 2 3

Year

822 cities on the Internet 2002

Iran Afghanistan India China

From 40 to 1,000 Cities on Optical Fibre (2000-2005)

SDH/PDH (525/622 Mb/s) backbone being upgraded to DWDM 10 Gb/s

Internet user growth

Internet users

• 200,000

400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,000 J a n

• 9

5 J a n

• 9

6 J a n

• 9

7 J a n

• 9

8 J a n

• 9

9 J a n

• J

a n

• 1

J a n

• 2

Internet users

Start point Today

June 2 0 0 0 : 1 3 0 ,0 0 0 Oct 2 0 0 6 : >1 2 mil l ion Actual users more than 20 Million! Dial up

Plummeting costs….

Cost /E1

• 20,000

40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 M a r

• M

a y

• J

u l

• S

e p

• N
• v
• J

a n

• 1

M a r

• 1

M a y

• 1

US $ Cost /E1

Start point Today

June 2 0 0 0 : U S $ 8 7 ,0 0 0 / E 1 Augus t 2 0 0 1 : U S $ 6 ,0 0 0 Oct ober 2 0 0 4 : U S $ 3 ,8 0 0 Now U S $ 9 5 0 per mont h/ 2 Mb/ s !

Communications Network---the Effect of one Good Decision!

1992-2000, little Growth(300,000 phones) 2001, CPP regime brought in Network expansion of 3 million phone-

lines ordered in 2002 ! Mobilink, U-fone

Explosive growth continues till today (over

100 million phones today—hottest sector

• f the economy)

Pakistan Education & Research Pakistan Education & Research Network Network

PERN – I Status (2003 – 08) Universities/ Institutes 80 Core Bandwidth 155 Mbps Last Mile Bandwidth 4-24 Mbps International Leased Circuit 155 Mbps PERN – II Plans (2009 - 2013) Universities/ Institutes/R&E Org. 250+ Core Bandwidth 10 Gbps Last Mile Bandwidth 1 Gbps International Leased Circuit 1.3 Gbps

Digital Library

E-Journals: 25,000 full text

journals

• E-Books: access to over 40,000

text books and monographs -- 220 international publishers 220 international publishers

• Free, nation

Free, nation-

• wide

wide

International Video-lecturing Program / Distance Learning

High quality video-conferencing

equipment installed

Series of international lectures (nation-

wide) by top professors from leading world universities

MIT Mirror Website for access to Open

Source materials established (http://

http://mitocw.pern.edu.pk mitocw.pern.edu.pk) )

Paksat 1

Ku Band C-Band

Increasing Access

• 1947

1947-

• 2003 : 135,000 university students

2003 : 135,000 university students 2009 : 400,000 university students 2009 : 400,000 university students

• No. of Public Sector Universities / Degree
• No. of Public Sector Universities / Degree

Awarding Institutes : Doubled from 59 in Awarding Institutes : Doubled from 59 in 2000 to 127 in 2009 2000 to 127 in 2009

Enrollment in universities & DAIs

31

Gender Gender‐ ‐wise Enrollment in Higher wise Enrollment in Higher Education Institutions Education Institutions

Results Results

• 600% in ISI abstracted

600% in ISI abstracted publications publications

• 1000% increase in citations over

1000% increase in citations over last 4 years last 4 years

• Tripling of enrolment and doubling

Tripling of enrolment and doubling

• f universities
• f universities

Year wise Research Output Year wise Research Output-

• Pakistan

Pakistan

PhD Output

World University Rankings

• Higher Education Times, UK Rankings,

Higher Education Times, UK Rankings, November 2009: November 2009:

• Several Pakistani universities ranked

Several Pakistani universities ranked among the top 500 universities of the among the top 500 universities of the World World --

• - In Natural Sciences:

In Natural Sciences: Karachi University at 223, NUST at Karachi University at 223, NUST at 260 and QAU at 270 in world! 260 and QAU at 270 in world!

Glowing International Reviews--

• World Bank

World Bank

• USAID

USAID

• British Council

British Council

• “

“Nature Nature” ”--

• -27

27th

th November 2007

November 2007----

• --- “

“The The Paradox of Pakistan Paradox of Pakistan” ”

• “

“Nature Nature” ” --

• -28

28th

th August 2008

August 2008---

• -- “

“After After Musharraf Musharraf” ”

• “

“Nature Nature” ”---

• -- 3

3rd

rd September 2009

September 2009

• “

“Nature Nature” ” ---

• -- 22

22nd

nd September 2010

September 2010

Nature, 22nd September 2010

37 37

“Rahman's strong scientific background, enthusiasm for reform and impressive ability to secure cash made him a hit at home and abroad---- It really was an anomaly that we had a person of that stature with that kind of backing Atta-ur-Rahman was a force of nature."

Highest Civil Award of Austria

International Prize for Pakistan

• Pakistan won the highest

Pakistan won the highest honour honour for for institution building when I was selected institution building when I was selected after international competition for the after international competition for the TWAS (Italy) Prize for Institution Building TWAS (Italy) Prize for Institution Building

• Prize was conferred and Prize Lecture

Prize was conferred and Prize Lecture delivered by me in Durban, South Africa delivered by me in Durban, South Africa last month last month

Royal Society (London)

• In a survey entitled

In a survey entitled “ “A New Golden A New Golden Age ? Age ?” ” the Royal Society has come the Royal Society has come forward with examples of recent forward with examples of recent positive changes in some Islamic positive changes in some Islamic countries and quoted countries and quoted Pakistan as the Pakistan as the best practice model to be followed by best practice model to be followed by

• ther developing countries
• ther developing countries

Indian Govt. Worried at Pakistan’s Progress!

• Presentation to Indian Prime Minister

Presentation to Indian Prime Minister about silent revolution in Higher Education about silent revolution in Higher Education sector of Pakistan sector of Pakistan

• Prof. C.N.R.
• Prof. C.N.R. Rao

Rao (Advisor to Indian PM (Advisor to Indian PM

• n Science & Technology) requested
• n Science & Technology) requested

Prime Minister of India to carry out similar Prime Minister of India to carry out similar reforms in India reforms in India

• Hindustan Times, 23 July 2006

Hindustan Times, 23 July 2006

HINDUSTAN TIMES HINDUSTAN TIMES

“ “Pak threat to Indian science Pak threat to Indian science” ”

Neha Neha Mehta Mehta

New Delhi, New Delhi, July 23, 2006 July 23, 2006

“ “Pakistan may soon join China in giving Pakistan may soon join China in giving India serious competition in India serious competition in science.

• science. Science is a lucrative profession

Science is a lucrative profession in Pakistan in Pakistan” ”. .

Investment in HRD Pays Back a Investment in HRD Pays Back a Millon Millon fold ! fold !

• 12 Students trained under our scholarship program

12 Students trained under our scholarship program formed an IT company in Islamabad formed an IT company in Islamabad

• --won a contract of US $ 250 million (

won a contract of US $ 250 million (Rs Rs 20 20 billion) billion) in competition to major international in competition to major international companies companies

• Innovation determines Progress

Innovation determines Progress----

• ---but you must

but you must create and nurture the Innovation Workers ! create and nurture the Innovation Workers !

• Sow the seeds today

Sow the seeds today---

• --the fruits will come 10

the fruits will come 10 -

• 15

15 years later !! years later !!

The Four Pillars for Progress

• Education

Education

• Science & Technology

Science & Technology

• Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

• Visionary, Honest & Technologically

Visionary, Honest & Technologically Competent Leadership Competent Leadership

PAKISTAN PAKISTAN’ ’s s Potential Potential

Winners of International Science Olympiads

NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE SPECTROMETERS

A GROUP OF GERMAN STUDENTS

FOREIGN STUDENTS

FORIEGN FACULTY AND STUDENTS

THANK YOU THANK YOU