Contributed by: Hamza Tariq
Academic research is a significant and often untapped source of intellectual capital. Modern research is the excellent examples of how new knowledge can be transformed into new value simply by encouraging researchers to look at their research from a different perspective. What’s the contribution of young researchers to Pakistan ? Where do we stand in this realm of science and IT ?
In University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill/NC State, research is carried out by Dr. Elliot McGucken. A Multiple-unit Artificial Retina Chipset (MARC) would create a new marketplace by offering a cure for forms of blindness including retinal disorders and age-related visual problems, which afflict from blindness originating from various causes. This computer-chip based device can provide limited-resolution vision for people with retinal-based blindness. This device could benefit more than 10,000,000 people worldwide.
In Pakistan a nationally representative sample of 16,507 adults was examined. The age and gender-standardized prevalence of blindness was 2.7%. It has been estimated that there are 1,140,000 blind adults in Pakistan (2003 statistics). Blindness prevalence varied throughout the country, being highest in the provinces of Punjab and Balochistan and lowest in the North West Frontier Province. Rural areas had a higher prevalence of blindness than did urban areas. What is the hindrance that young blood is not looking for intelligent technological solutions ?
Ours is a nation with high slogans about a few mundane things, a nuclear
power of Muslim world but a devastating economy. A verge case where pinching facts are leaving narrow rooms to flourish. Basic survival problems are snatching the creativity of youth. If society is severely jolted, then points to ponder over would fade away. How can they think of research and development when already job seeking is endangered.
Eglin Air Force Base, Florida – The American Air Force is testing robots as security guards. One robot being tested is a Jeep-size, four-wheeled vehicle that has been equipped with radar, television cameras and an infrared scan to detect people, vehicles and other objects. It carries a breadbox-sized mini-robot that can be launched to search under vehicles, inside buildings and other small places.
Why couldn’t we manage a robotic system that can serve as a private security guard? The area of application could be common homes and civilian assets initially. As we have suffered the most with terrorist attacks, further improvements can lead to more specific areas like Homeland Security and Military Installations as well. Why IT can not address such a serious issue ?
There are some facts about IT industry of Pakistan. The State Bank of Pakistan in its statement for the year 2008-09 reports the export figures of software and IT-enabled services to be US$ 201 million, which shows a consistent annual growth. But only 50 to 150 researchers are rolled out from Pakistan per year as successful PhDs. Out of this, the share of technology researchers is again a small fraction of the total !
Muslims scientists had been pioneers in Mathematics, Chemistry and Life Sciences. The West has reached it technological culmination by the research and research only. It’s the gift that we handed over to them and slept for centuries. It’s the time to wake up, else it would be too late to catch ! We have the talent but we are lagging behind in direction. We have the resources but channelization is required. But we are talking about this since long, it’s time for action !
“I have seen many rivers, fast and turbulent but they never reach fertile lands to help life. They scatter well before their destination”: says the well known Thinker and Writer Mukhtar Masood – the analogy to the youth of Pakistan.
Tailpiece: So let us in a new version of Iqbal: “Uttho Meray Javano Ko Jaga Do !”