Pakistan has expressed keen interest in strengthening scientific and technological relations with India. This emerged at a meeting here today, between the visiting Pakistani Minister incharge of Science and Technology and Technical Education, Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman and the Minister for Human Resource Development and Science & Technology, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi. Both the Ministers agreed to take the matter at the experts level to identify areas of collaboration. Dr. Joshi and Dr. Ramhan also agreed that there are enough opportunities for expanding bilateral scientific cooperation.
Dr. Rahman who is advisor to Pakistani Prime Minister on science and technology and Chairman of the Higher Education Commission with the status of a Federal Minister, told Dr. Joshi that Pakistan wants to build bridges between the two countries by strengthening scientific cooperation with India. He expressed the desire to look at Centres of Excellence in India and wanted India to do the same in a bid to identify areas of collaboration from which each other can benefit. He said the two sides have a lot to share from each other’s experience. Dr. Rahman also told Dr. Joshi that Pakistan is trying to give a major boost to science and technology as well as technical education. He was highly appreciative of India’s Technological Vision.
Biotechnology, Information and Communication technology were broadly identified as areas in which potential exists for cooperation. Dr. Joshi told him about modernisation of Madrasas in India with computer education and facilities. He also told him about India’s achievements in science and technology as well as education. Dr. Rahman invited Dr. Joshi to visit Pakistan to keep up the momentum.
There has not been much bilateral cooperation in science and technology between the two sides. However, India and Pakistan are active partners in the SAARC Technical Committee on Science and Technology. There is a great deal of interest in Pakistan on the quality of education imparted by Indian IIT’s and IIM’s. In fact, before coming to India, Dr. Rahman said he wanted to interact with Indian educationists and technologists from these institutions during his visit to New Delhi. Dr. Rahman is delivering the plenary lecture at the International Conference on “Bio-diversity and Natural Products Chemistry Applications”, being held here.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=839
Positive development. Lets have more of this. :k: