Collaboration to encourage innovation and development in Pakistan: Nafees Zakaria
High Commissioner Mohammad Nafees Zakaria inaugurated a research network named MaRC (Materials Advanced Research Consortium) at the High Commission on 28 February 2020. The research network is a collaboration between University of Huddersfield, UK and various Pakistani partner institutions. To establish this strategic research partnership with Pakistan, Dr Usman Ghori, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Huddersfield along with the faculty took the initiative. One of the objectives of the project is to bring clean, affordable drinking water to the people of Pakistan. In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Islamabad recently.
In his address, High Commissioner appreciated the research collaboration and commended the young scientist Dr Ghori and the team on their achievement. He emphasized on nurturing and guiding the young Pakistani talent in the UK to the benefit of both the countries. Mr. Zakaria hoped that such initiatives aiming at quality research will usher in an era of innovation, development and economic prosperity in Pakistan. The High Commissioner said it is heartening to know that the project has the potential to provide safe and affordable water for the population of Pakistan. He thanked Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry for appreciating the potential of the project and extending their support to it. Mr Zakaria assured his constant support for the project.
Recently, at the signing ceremony of the MoU in Islamabad, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi congratulated Dr Ghori, the team and University’s senior management on the initiative. He said MoU would provide a much needed institutionalized arrangement for future research collaboration. He said that the Government was cognizant of Pakistanis’ talent abroad and, therefore, many of Government’s policy initiatives are aimed at galvanizing and providing direction to young scientists and tech professionals for their constructive engagement in the country’s mainstream economic activities.
Pakistan’s Minister for Science and Technology, Mr Fawad Hussain Chaudhry had also commended Huddersfield team for attaining a milestone in the field of industrial science. He termed it a significant step towards collaboration between educational institutions of Pakistan and the United Kingdom involving research.
On this occasion, Dr Usman Ghori made a presentation and briefed the audience on important themes of collaborative research between Pakistani institutions and University of Huddersfield. He said that the main aim of the current consortium (MaRC) will be to collaborate with Pakistani partners to explore and develop nanomaterials for industrial applications. He further briefed that the recently explored nanomaterial have the potential to transform the water supplies in the region into affordable drinking water for the benefit of the whole population and also will provide a sustainable option of raw material to fabricate healthcare products.
The University’s Head of Pharmacy Professor Barbara Conway said: “It has been a very exciting opportunity for us to be involved in this study.”
Professor Michael Ginger, the University’s Dean of Applied Sciences spoke about different multidisciplinary research projects which are underway at the University of Huddersfield.
Associate Dean (International) Prof Paul Elliot and Associate Dean (Research) Prof Roger Philips also spoke on the occasion and extended their full-support toward the initiative.
The University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) Professor Dave Taylor said the University of Huddersfield is dedicated to developing scientific solutions with global impact and improving the quality of life for people across the world.
At the end, the High Commissioner inaugurated the MaRC along with the Guest of Honour Lord Qurban Hussain and senior management of University of Huddersfield.
The Pakistani partners of MaRC project include Punjab University Lahore, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, University of Sargodha, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Lahore, Mines and Minerals Department Government of Punjab and Pakistan Council of Research for Water Resources (PCRWR) and Ministry of Science and Technology, Islamabad.
Dr Usman Ghori, Prof Dave Taylor and Prof Barbara Conway acknowledged with deep appreciation the support extended to the Research Team and connecting the University of Huddersfield to the institutions in Pakistan.
