A one-day seminar on Science for a sustainable future was held at the Institute for Sustainable Halophyte Utilization (ISHU), University of Karachi on Thursday, November 10, 2016 to celebrate the UNESCO Science Day for Sustainable Development with financial support from the Pakistan Science Foundation. The seminar was attended by students and teachers from different departments of the University of Karachi.

The proceedings started with recitation from the Holy Quran by Dr. Muhammad Qasim. Dr. Bilquees Gul, Director of the ISHU, University of Karachi read out a verbatim message from the Director General UNESCO, Ms. Irina Bokova to mark the occasion. The text of the message is as follows:

MESSAGE
English / Français


Message from Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of the World Science Day for Peace and Development, 10 November 2016
The 2016 World Science Day for Peace and Development is dedicated to the theme "Celebrating Science Centres and Science Museums".
Our starting point is clear. Science stands at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the Sendai Framework for Action, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. These agreements embody a new vision for prosperity, peace and the planet, to allow every society to create and share knowledge, to nurture every source of innovation and creativity, to craft a more inclusive, sustainable and just path to the future. Taking this forward calls for an ever greater expansion of science and for tighter linkages between science and society.
This is why science centres and museums are so important -- for capacity building, for advocacy, to send strong messages about the importance of science for sustainable development.
Science centres and museums plays key roles in nurturing the curiosity of women and men, as living laboratories of creativity, catalysing research and solutions to help societies meet challenges. In the digital era, when we need innovative initiatives to promote the learning of science outside the classrooms, museums and science centres are privileged places of education. They provide excellent ways to encourage children, especially girls, to pursue careers in science - to multiply our collective scientific capabilities.
In November 2015, UNESCO adopted a global Recommendation on the Protection and Promotion of Museums and their Collections, their Diversity and their Role in Society, strengthening our commitment to mobilize museums as key actors of peace and sustainable development.
This year, in the celebration of World Science Day for Peace and Development, we take this forward with the Association of Science-Technology Centres and the International Council of Museums, to nurture and share science knowledge.
Science museums and centres are platforms for dialogue, understanding and resilience. They produce sparks of delight and wonder that inspire all visitors, regardless of age and background, in an experience that brings all women and men together around common values.
In this spirit, I invite all of partners and governments to do everything to support, nurture and harness the full power of science museums and centres to shape a more inclusive and sustainable future for all.------

The Guest of Honor Prof. Atta-ur-Rehman, Hilal-e-Imtaiz, ex-Federal Minister for Higher Education was introduced by Prof. Muhammad Ajmal Khan, Distinguished National Professor and Founding Director, ISHU, University of Karachi. Prof. Khan mentioned many of the contributions made by Prof. Atta-ur-Rehman particularly, in his capacity as Chairman, HEC for initiating revolutionary steps in the Higher Education Sector in Pakistan.

In his plenary address entitled "The role of research in Socio-economic development", Prof. Atta-ur-Rehman highlighted the importance of higher education and the need to produce a "critical mass" of scientists that could improve the social and economic conditions of developing nations such as ours. He mentioned some of the most intriguing examples of modern day discoveries and innovative achievement of developed countries in the fields of bio-technological, molecular, agricultural and industrial research that continue to change and improve the quality of life in various ways.

Prof. Atta cited few of the basic steps that he had taken while in office, in revolutionizing the IT sector, in initiating various programs of the Higher Education sector in Pakistan and their impacts on socio-economic indicators. His take home message for student was to take up learning science as a passion, something to enjoy doing, to be able to help others.