Experts gather at KU to explore space science's potential

IV Report

KARACHI: The University of Karachi (KU) on Tuesday organised an international conference to mark World Space Science Day, focusing on the contributions of space science and technology to the uplift of human condition.

The conference, which will continue on Wednesday, brought together subject experts from the USA and China, who joined via video link to deliberate on the latest advancements in space science and technology.

Addressing the inaugural session, KU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi remarked that advancements in space science and technology will help learn new things about the universe, resulting in real economic and social development.

Prof Dr Iraqi emphasised that space technology is already playing a vital role in countries' defense and security surveillance. He stressed that efforts to promote peaceful cooperation and collaboration in space and on the ground should not be undermined.

Director KU-Institute of Space Science and Technology (ISST) Professor Dr Muhammad Jawed Iqbal, and Absar Ahmad from ISST, presented a joint paper on the complex and evolving landscape of space militarisation.

They distinguished it from the more aggressive concept of weaponisation and highlighted potential hazards associated with militarisation.

Dr Ibrahim Zia, Principal Scientific Officer at the National Institute of Oceanography, discussed the applications of remote sensing and GIS in social sciences. He emphasised the significance of these technologies in Pakistan, given its 1,000 km coastline and 290,000 km2 exclusive economic zone area.

A speaker from the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, Jin L HAN, highlighted China's recently built massive radio telescope. He shared that it has discovered over 730 pulsars, including 170 pulsars in binary systems, and eight fast radio bursts originating from outside the Milky Way.

Mahnoor Farooq and Syed Nazeer Alam from ISST also made a joint presentation at the conference.


With an uninterrupted 23-year career in daily journalism (1991-2013), the author/editor of this blog currently serves as Editor of Social Track, a weekly newspaper focused on social sectors, based in Karachi. Holding a master's degree in Mass Communications from the University of Karachi (1990), his professional experience includes roles as senior reporter at Daily Dawn, Karachi (May 2001-August 2013) and Chief Reporter at The News International, Karachi (April 1991-May 2001). He has a strong background in development journalism, he has an extensive portfolio of news stories, analytical reports and features covering a wide range of sectors. He has had the privilege of covering numerous high-profile figures, including Pakistani presidents, prime ministers, army chiefs, foreign dignitaries, and VVIPs and attending conferences and workshops abroad. He began his journalism career in the early 1980s. Throughout his career, he has received several national awards from government and private organisations. He has contributed to various radio and TV/channel broadcasts and has also served as a trainer at workshops in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, focused on training journalists.

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