Innovation key to a bright future

If technology, innovation and ideas hold the future of a country, the Muslim world is in dire need of them, warned Professor Ata-ur-Rahman in Jeddah on Friday evening.
Backing his premises Prof. Rahman, UNESCO laureate and world’s noted Pakistani scientist, presented some jaw-dropping facts about the bleak future awaiting us.
“Can you imagine,” he said while talking about ‘fascinating intelligent materials,’ “that a strand 150 times thinner than human hair could be stronger than steel and could sustain the weight of an elephant on it?”
This was however just the beginning of his “truth-is-stranger-than-fiction” presentation.
He talked about high definition television screens as thin as wall paper; the world of nano materials; bullet-proof paper, nano filters for purifying water, mini computers; innovation in DNA; biological and molecular science; and biotechnology (like growing crops with sea water, thousands of applications in agriculture, driving cars on paper, anti-ageing) — which was enough to raise goose bumps of those present during his hour-long presentation.
He lamented that the Muslim world with a mere 0.3 percent of GDP and R&D (research and development) was lagging far behind in the race to a bright future.
Praising the efforts of the Saudi government in the field of education, Prof. Rahman advised for the creation of excellent faculties with the help of academics from overseas rather than focusing on beautiful university buildings only.
“If you make excellent cars, make excellent engines too,” he said.
Speaking about a possible radical change in the perception of a country with regards to its future, the scientist observed, “Select the top 500 students from the Muslim world including Saudi Arabia and send them to the best institutions of the world. This will begin a sea change in the mental set up of a country.”
The professor was speaking at a function on “Higher Education, Science, Technology & Innovation: Imperatives for Socio-Economic Development.”
Organized by the Engineers Welfare Forum (EWF) the event was attended by several Pakistanis and Saudis including Dr. Mazen Batterjee, the vice-president of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industries (JCCI) and Pakistani Consul General Aftab Ahmed Khokher.
Prof. Rahman, responsible for bringing about a revolution of sorts in the higher education sector in Pakistan, said knowledge, and not natural resources, would determine the progress in socio-economic development.
“Knowledge is now the main driving force behind world economies,” he said.
Prof. Rahman, who has received several national and international awards, delineated his dreams into four categories.
However, higher education in Pakistan is his first love. Besides, he has been involved in the setting up of an online program called Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to provide free but high quality education for all. MOOCs which involve the use of an integrated distance education mode is free, open to all and where students can access hundreds of lectures online.
He also spoke of the establishment of the Research Institute of Chemistry.
Rahman described it is the only institute to receive the IDB prize for best science institution, and which has attracted foreign students also.
A world class Jamil-ur-Rahman Center for Genomics Research, which aims at using sea water for agricultural purposes has also been established in Pakistan. It is important because global warming “will cause massive droughts within 20 years,” he said.
Speaking about visionary leadership, Consul General Khokhar underlined the importance of the vote and said that it is only through election that people could decide the future line of leadership.
He stressed on primary education as “an important and basic requirement of a nation.”
Earlier, Dr. Alim Khan, the president of the EWF, welcomed the guests and introduced Prof. Rahman to the audience. Dr. Khan has been catalytic to several Pakistan-Saudi Arabian functions to share knowledge and entrepreneurship.
The EWF president was all praise for the Saudi government for providing opportunities to hold such functions which are beneficial to the two countries and which “have endured time-tested friendship.”
The function was conducted by Mansoor Elahi.