ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The five-day 17th International Symposium on Advanced Materials (ISAM-2021) organized by the Pakistan Advance Materials Forum (PAMF) began in Islamabad on Monday.
This biennial event has become one of the prime international platforms at which materials engineers and scientists keep themselves up-to-date with recent technologies and new developments.
During the symposium, 300 papers will be presented by foreign and local researchers.
While addressing the Inaugural Ceremony, the Federal Minister for Science & Technology Senator Shibli Faraz highlighted the fact that the scope of materials technology is unlimited which has led to a significant increase in the range and depth of research and development in the industrially advanced world.
“The future of Pakistan is also dependent upon advancement in the field of Science & Technology,” the minister said.
While stressing upon the role of Science & Technology in the socio-economic development of the country, he encouraged Scientists and Engineers to promote a culture of research that can practically be implemented later on.
The federal minister expounded on the fact that Pakistan is a developing country but it is rich in material resources.
We also have some of the best manpower but unfortunately, our resources remain untapped and our expertise finds few avenues to flourish.
We need to work on the ways to improve the infrastructure and the sophisticated technology of minerals processing, alloy development, melting and zone refining, fabrication, and forming techniques.
Moreover, he congratulated the administration of PAFM on the launch of the symposium which will provide a platform to researchers to depict their projects and to learn from each other.
In his address at the ceremony, the Chairman of the Symposium, Engineer Mr. Tahir Ikram emphasized the role of advanced materials, saying that “In this modern era, the growth and development of any Country are gauged on the basis of advancement of Materials. From the pre-historic times and now in the world of Advanced and New Materials, mankind has always measured its progress through the use of metals and materials and it will continue to do so in future”.
Briefing about the previous 16 symposia, the Secretary of the Symposium Dr. Amjad Ali said that holding the symposia on Advanced Materials was a timely decision taken in 1989.
The 17th in its series, so far, this biennial event has been held for the last 31 years.
Towards the end of the ceremony, President of Pakistan Advanced Materials Forum Tahir Ikram presented a souvenir to the Federal Minister for Science and Technology Senator Shibli Faraz.
