ISLAMABAD - As many as 80 national and international experts and researchers gathered on Thursday at International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) to discuss advancements in biotechnology and bio-computing in an international conference.
The three-day long conference was organised by the department of biological sciences of faculty of basic and applied sciences (FBAS) of IIUI.
The participants will keep delivering lectures for three days in various sessions of the conference on topics such as DNA vaccine against tuberculosis, multidrug resistance, enhance production of antifungal compound through genome intervention, exploring genes network of lungs cancer’s NGD data using advanced bioinformatics techniques and other relevant topic akin to the conference theme.
Speaking at the conference, Comsats University Rector Dr Raheel Qamar, stressed upon implementation of technology in the society for the solution to the problems. He added that advancements have come to the wonder stage of human history and a huge amount of knowledge is being created across the world.
Dr Masoom Yasinzai, IIUI Rector said that “technology is the today’s gold mine, academic circles be focused to explore them”.
He added that nations invested in science and technology, are prosperous today.
Dr Masoom noted the need to follow the excelling nations and learn from their experiences.
Highlighting the importance of youth, IIUI Rector said that 56 million youth is a precious asset and if it is put on the right track through higher education, it can lead to the pathway of prosperity, stability and progress.
He also urged for relevant to the society research and local challenges be addressed through research. He called upon universities to be relevant to the society and find indigenous problems. IIUI Rector said that the GDP dedicated for the education was inadequate as it needs more investment for best results.
Separately, SPRING Accelerator held its send-off event for Pakistan at the National Incubation Center in Islamabad. The event shared SPRING’s experience in running a human-centered design accelerator, which can help any incubator or accelerator programme to scale businesses.
Attendees were introduced to and given a chance to meet SPRING-supported Pakistani businesses and the visiting London-based SPRING team. SPRING team shared human centered design best practices that have helped 75 businesses across two continents achieve success.
An estimated 250 million adolescent girls worldwide live in poverty, unable to pursue learning, build assets or safely raise the income needed for a more prosperous life. SPRING identifies and supports businesses that can bring life-enhancing products and services to girls.
Spring is an accelerator working with growth-oriented businesses on innovations that can transform the lives of adolescent girls aged 10-19 across East Africa and South Asia.
Since 2016, the spring Accelerator has worked with 11 businesses in Pakistan to develop market-driven products and services to improve the lives of adolescent girls using a human-cantered design approach.
Their solutions help girls learn new skills, earn income, stay healthy and safe across various sectors.