ISLAMABAD  - A four-member delegation of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) visited Higher Education Commission Secretariat and National University of Science and Technology (NUST) on Tuesday.
The delegation held a meeting with Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Executive Director HEC. Chairman Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) Dr. Ansar Parvez and senior management of HEC were also present on the occasion.
Headed by Dr. Sergio Bertolucci, Director CERN, the team included Dr. Rudiger Voss, Head of International Relations, Claude Crottaz, Head of Training, Science and Space Travel, and Margaret Susan Foffano, Scientific Secretary.
Both sides discussed future collaboration in enabling faculty members from universities to conduct research at CERN facility in Switzerland. Different HEC initiatives for supporting research and split PhD programme were discussed.
Dr. Mukhtar apprised the CERN team of various initiatives of HEC undertaken for promotion of research, innovation as well as increasing access and ensuring quality.
Dr. Bertolucci said that they are looking forward for collaboration in research and development possibilities in science and technology in general and Physics in particular. "CERN is a major S&T funding Agency and would like to know the work done by HEC in the higher education sector and extend its support for advancement of higher education and research in Pakistan," said Dr. Bertolucci.
Pakistan has recently applied for the Associate Membership of CERN to increase collaboration level between Pakistan and CERN. The delegation showed interest in visiting different universities, scientific organization and industrial complexes in the country so as to understand the education system and organization of Physical Science.
CERN is a world leading multinational organization conducting research, since its inception in 1954, on High Energy Physics. In its quest for the discovery of fundamental particles and their interaction with matter, CERN has been at the forefront of not only the development of the world's largest accelerators but also at the frontiers of science and almost all aspects of technology.
This organization has undoubtedly established itself as the world's leading scientific institution for intuitive minds. People from all around the globe are dedicatedly working in CERN to resolve many mysteries of nature. The most recent is the discovery of Higgs Boson.
NUST being the most prestigious institution of Pakistan takes pride on its unprecedented credentials as a center of excellence and have collaboration with CERN since 2001.
The delegation was highly appreciative and impressed to see the NUST School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (SEECS), RIC and SMME. Dr. Sergio Bertolucci emphasized the cooperation between CERN and NUST and other universities of Pakistan was very fruitful and good for the program in the field of science and technology.