Education, Science and

Innovation: Imperatives for

National Development
Prof. Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman, FRS
N.I., H.I., S.I., T.I.
UNESCO Science Laureate
Prof. Dr. Salimuzzaman Siddiqui
FRS, H.I., S.I., T.I.
(1897-1994)
Founding Director, H.E.J. Research Institute of
Chemistry

A philosopher, Scientist, Painter, and a Poet

A MAN PAR EXCELLENCE
He made seminal contributions in the field of
natural product chemistry
 21st Century is characterized
by two main ideas:
 INNOVATION HAS  Based upon
BECOME THE KEY TO Globalization and the
RAPID SOCIO- “Death” of Physical
ECONOMIC Distance---NEW
DEVELOPMENT
OPPORTUNITIES !!
 Quality of human • Manufacturing can be done
resources anywhere
 Government policies • Designing can be done
–nurturing innovation anywhere
 Role of Private Sector • Internet: A Connected World
 The Triple Helix :
Knowledge Economy
Role of Government
1)INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION, SCIENCE, INNOVATION
2)POLICY
a) National self-reliance policies
b) Technology Transfer Policy
c) FDI Policy
d) Venture Capital Funds
e) Tax Incentives to Promote Private Sector R & D
f) IPR Regime
g) h) Priority to Education, Science and Innovation in Budget
i) Technocrats as Secretaries/Ministers
j) Quick Access to Justice (Law and Order)
k) Good Governance (Independent NAB, Autonomy of Institutions, Law & Order, Quick Access to
Justice)
l) Ease of Doing Business
m) STED Implementation
n) Foresight Exercises
 An example of successful Government
Intervention: HEC

Role of Government
Universities 57 to 160
Enrolment; 0.25 million to 1.3 million
PhD Output: 200/year to 1000/year
Research Publications:700/year to 10,000/ year
Quoted internationally as the best model to be
followed by other developing countries
International Rankings of Universities
 One Example of Successful
Government Policy Intervention:
Telecom Industry

Role of Government
Ufone: Lower Rates
“Calling Party Pays” Regime

Mobile Telephony has grown from 0.3

million in 2001 to 140 million mobile
phones in 2014
The Triple Helix : Knowledge
Economy
 Role of Government
 Universities/R & D Institutions
1) Striving for Excellence
2) Awareness of Social Responsibilities
3) Establishment of Strict Merit Based Systems with
Quality Assurance Regimes
4) Encouraging academics to work simultaneously in
industries and giving credits for promotion (Japan/Korea
Examples)
5) Establishment of Technology Parks
6) Utilising STED Projects
 The Triple Helix : Knowledge
Economy
 Role of Government: HEC
1) Training 10,000 PhDs from World’s Top Universities over
next 10 years
2) Absorption of Returning PhDs (Pro-active role:
appointment as HEC Fellows in Year!): Ranking of
Universities on PhD Faculty to Student Ratio
3) Five fold increase in HEC Research Funding (Rs. 2
billion per year)– regular assessment– mandatory pre-
requisite for HEC approved Supervisors to submit review
reports in 7 days: REDUCE PROJECT ASSESS MENT
PERIOD TO 90 DAYS
 The Triple Helix : Knowledge
Economy
 Role of Government: HEC (contd)
4) Restoration of Ratio-Difference Between Tenure
Track and BPS --- requires four fold increase in
tenure track salaries
5) Upgradation of Top 10 Universities as
“Research Universities” with tripling of recurring
and development grants
6) Upgradation of top 5 research Centres as
National Centres of Excellence with tripling of
recurring and development grants
 The Triple Helix : Knowledge
Economy
 Role of Government: HEC (contd)
7) Restoration of STED Program for Industrial
Linkages
8) Restoration of Chancellor’s Committee for major
Decisions (President, PM, Governors, CMs,
Finance Minister, Deputy Chairman Planning,
Chairman HEC
9) De-recognition of public and private universities
that do not meet minimum quality criteria
(Newspaper Ads)
The Triple Helix : Knowledge
Economy
 Role of Government: HEC (contd)
10) HEC Approval in Appointment of Vice
Chancellors : Chancellors Committee
Decision Needed
 The Triple Helix : Knowledge
Economy: Korea

 1960 : Over 50% of GDP contributed by

low value Agriculture, less than 5% by
electronics, engineering goods etc
 2000 : Over 50% of GDP
contributed by Engineering Goods,
Electronics, etc.

12
The Triple Helix : Knowledge
Economy:
Role of Government :Malaysia
:
 . In 1980, the GDP of Malaysia was only
US$ 26 billion. It made a determined effort
to shift to a manufacturing economy. By
2010, it increased to US$ 303 billion, and
the per capita income now stands at US$
14,700.
 Malaysia has been investing about 25% of
its budget in education for last 30 years
 The Triple Helix : Knowledge
Economy:
Role of Government:Singapore
Government:
 Small country ---865 sq km
 No natural resources: focus on human
resource! Lee Kwan Yew
 (1) The government’s strategic role, (2) Mobilization of its human
capital, and (3) Continuous development of infrastructure .
 Increased employment through extensive
growth in its manufacturing industries
 GDP : $303 Billion (population 5 million)
 The Triple Helix : Knowledge
EconomyPro-Poor
Development Policies
 We should learn from countries such as
China in respect of pro-poor Innovation
Policies: In 1998 China started producing
electric bikes indigenously with 12
producers: produced 56,000 units/ year
 By 2010, within 12 years, China was able to
dominate the electric bike market, where 2000
producers were manufacturing 30 million units of
electric bikes, 80% of which were sold
domestically
 The Triple Helix : Knowledge
Economy
Role of Private Sector
1) Innovation Mindset: Establishment of Research &
Development Labs within Industries
2) Entrepreneurial Approach to Business
3) Investments in High Value Added Products
4) Export Oriented Outlook
5) Role of FPCCI
6) Investing in Establishment of World Class Research
centres
7) Outward Looking Approach for Linkages with
Universities
Changing the Landscape
of Higher Education -----
in a Country of 200
Million !
 Pakistan---An Exciting
Beginning !!
 My appointment as Federal Minister of
Science & Technology(incl.IT/Telecom)
( March 2000) and Federal Minister-Chairman
Higher Education Commission (2002-2008)
 6000% increase in dev. budget of S&T
 3500% increase in development budget of
higher education
 Chancellors Committee (cutting through
bureaucratic red tapes)
Key Challenges in Higher Education
Challenge: How do we attract our
brightest to
Education/Research ?
 Pakistan has 100 million below age 20 (54%
of population) !

 Both a Challenge and an Opportunity

 It is the brightest among them who must

provide the leadership in all fields---education,
S&T, Government
 HOW ??
 1) Excite young minds about the wonders of science !
 2) Select and train the Brightest in top universities
abroad
 3) Attract them back--- by creating an enabling
environment :
 Salaries
 Research Funding
 Access to Literature
 Access to Instrumentation
 Critical Mass—create clusters !
 Increasing Access
 1947-2003 : 135,000 university students
2013 : 1,300,000 university students

 No. of Public Sector Universities / Degree

Awarding Institutes : from 59 in 2000 to
157 in 2013

 World University Rankings
 Higher Education Times, UK Rankings,
November 2009:

 5 Pakistani universities ranked among the

top 600 universities of the World
 In Natural Sciences:

Karachi University at 223, NUST at

269 and QAU at 270 in world!
 Overall NUST at 350 in 2009
Year-wise PhDs Produced
International Research Publications
Impact Factor Journals
 Glowing International
Reviews---A Silent Revolution
 World Bank
 USAID
 British Council
 “Nature”--27th November 2007---- “The Paradox
of Pakistan”
 “Nature” --28th August 2008--- “After Musharraf”
 “Nature”--- 3rd September 2009
 “Nature”----22nd September 2010
 Prof. Michael Rode, Chairman of the United
Nations Commission on Science, Technology
and Development (2008):
 "Around the world when we discuss the status
of higher education in different countries, there
is unanimity of opinion that the developing
country that has made the most rapid progress
internationally in recent years is Pakistan. In no
other country has the higher education
sector seen such spectacular positive
developments as that in Pakistan during the
last six years.” Unquote.
 Presentation to Indian PM

 “Pak threat to Indian science” ---

Hindustan Times
Neha Mehta
New Delhi, July 23, 2006

“Pakistan may soon join China in giving India serious

competition in science.  Science is a lucrative
profession in Pakistan”.
 Thrilling World of Innovation

BIOTECHNOLOGY/
GENOMICS
 Bacteria that Eat Cyanoalgae!
Flamingoes on Lake Bogoria, Kenya that are also
attracted to Cyanoalgae
They contain “microcystins” that damage human
liver
 Biotechnology
 Genomics: tailoring new species with growing
understanding of structure-function relationships
 “Golden rice” with provitamin A, saving
thousands of lives due to vitamin deficiency in
children
 Growing crops round the year --- discovery of
DET1 gene, that controls the “biological clock” in
plants
 Biotechnology
 Seeds No Longer Needed: Advent of
tissue culture technologies
 GM crops: transforming agriculture ---in-
built natural pesticides
 Animal genes in plants: Luminescent
orchids
 Genes that lead to salt tolerance; growing
crops with sea water !
 Biotechnology
 Using microbes as work horses: (Corticosteroids,
antibiotics etc) thousands of applications in
agriculture, medicine

 Synthetic life ?

 3D Printing of kidneys, liver, ears, jaw bone, hip bones


 Stem Cells: repairing human organs: Induced
Pluripotent Stem Cells by retro-differentiation---Nobel
Prize given to Yamanaka
 Biotechnology
 Understanding and reversing the ageing
process
1. Apoptosis
2. Telomere
3. Ageing Genes (4)
4. Oxygen radicals
Exciting advances: Resveratol, NAD
 Biotechnoloy
 Use of Gene therapy against breast cancer-----
Modified spider proteins combined with fire fly
proteins to detect cancer cells

 Malaria: Genetically modified mosquitoes ---GM

females cannot fly away after laying eggs, GM
males can to spread the characteristic

 Language gene (FOXP2)---mice that can speak !

 Biotechnology
 Genetically modified cows --- that produce
“human milk” !

Obesity:
1. Obesity Gene (FTO)
2. Lack of Sleep
3. Adenovirus 36
4. Artificial sweeteners
5. Brown fat (50 grams burns 500 calories/day)
ROBOTICS,ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE
 Artificial Intelligence

 Machine intelligence

 Flying robotic quadcopters: hundreds

operating in intelligent coordination

 Intelligent Wars: The Era of the Drones!

Cyborg beetle: a giant flower beetle with a
processor and implanting electrodes - a
living machine whose flight can be
wirelessly controlled
Scramjet Hypersonic Aircraft
(5,000 km/hr)
 ENERGY
Quantum Dot Lights --- Next
Generation Bulbs
Gravity Light (Using
Sand/Stones) !
 ENERGY
Solar Cells with Above 40% Efficiency:
Sharp Corporation has developed new types of
compound solar cells with efficiencies of over 40 %.
This was achieved by replacing the germanium base
layer by indium gallium arsenide.

“Photon Enhanced Thermionic Emission”, (PETE)

can work at high temperatures, unlike currently
available solar cells, and its utilisation of light and heat
(produced by solar radiation) can increase the
efficiency of the new solar cells to above 50% (Nick
Melosh and coworkers at Stanford University)
 ENERGY
 Hydrogen From Water: The cleavage of water
molecule with catalysts to produce hydrogen is
an exciting challenge. Platinum works but is
expensive.

 Scientists at UC Berkley’s chemistry department

have recently reported a cheap molybdenum
catalyst that is seventy times cheaper, and which
promises to be used in industry
 INTERNATIONAL
THERMONUCLEAR
EXPERIMENTAL REACTOR
(ITER)
 ENERGY
 Energy from Cellulose: Scientists at U.S.
Department of Energy's BioEnergy Science
Center (BESC) have succeeded in converting
cellulose directly into isobutanol using a
genetically modified strain of a cellulose -
degrading microbe (Clostridium cellulolyticum)---
can be used 100% as car fuel
TheHuman Brain: the
Final Frontier
 Neuroscience: essence of man

 Human Brain: 100 billion neurons!

 Each connected to 7000 other neurons!

100 billion X 70000 synaptic connections!

Cars Driving Themselves !

 Mind Reading
Hat !
 Honda has developed a special hat which when
worn can control the movements of robots just by
thought!

 The hat is in the form of a skullcap that has highly

sensitive electrodes fitted in it which detect the
electrical signals from the brain as well as the blood
flow. The information is transmitted to a robot, which
recognizes the intention of the person wearing the
hat and acts accordingly. This mind reading hat uses
remote sensing sensors so that no surgical implants
are needed.
Blind Seeing with the
Tongue:Wicab (Wisconsin)
Daily Telegraph
Sunday 31 August 2014

Electronic lollipop 'allows blind people to

see with their tongues'

An electronic lollipop that enables blind people to see by

using their tongue has been created by scientists.
 MOLECULAR BASIS OF
MEMORY !
 A Theory of Memory”, presented Plenary
Lecture at 22nd IUPAC Symposium on the
Chemistry of Natural Products, held in Sao
Paulo, Atta-ur-Rahman, Pure Appl. Chem.,
73(3) 555-560 (2001); Pure Appl. Chem., 74(4),
511 (2002); Pure & Appl. Chem, 77, 75-81
(2005).
 My Review published recently:

Neuroscientist; October 2014, 20 :422

EPILEPSY PATIENT

55
PATCH CLAMP FACILITY

56
 Isoxylitones A and B
5a 5b
5a 5b H 3C CH3
H 3C CH3
5
5 4 6
4 6 O 3 1
3 1 E 3'
H3C Z
H3C 2' CH3 3a 2'
3a 3' 1' CH3
O 1'

 Isoxylitones A and B are able to prevent convulsions in both the electrically

and chemically-induced seizure models

57
NEW MATERIALS
 Metamaterials
 These are new materials that can bend the
rays of light away
 Materials Covered with them just
DISAPPEAR!
 Objects behind them remain visible
 Harry Potter’s Disappearing Cloak is now a
reality
 Being used for cloaking submarines, tanks etc
 Fascinating New
Materials
 Intelligent Materials: That remember their
shape !
 Graphene: Two Nobel Prizes awarded

Mono layer of carbon atoms arranged in a

honey comb structure
A strand 150 times thinner than a human hair
is so strong that you could hang an elephant
and it would not break---200 times stronger
than steel
 Graphene !
HD TVs as thin as wallpaper... Samsung

Modified graphene (containing hydrogen,

lithium, potassium and fluorine) can
generate electricity

Graphene-based particles to shuttle

cancer drugs to tumours.

Batteries that charge 10 times faster and

hold 10 times more power
 Nanotechnology

 Bullet proof paper: nanocellulose; stronger

than steel; being used for making bullet
proof jackets
 Nano filters: for purifying water
 Nano medicines: far more effective
 Nano electronics: minicomputers
 Bucky Balls
 Carbon Nanotubes
 Long chains of carbon: these super-structures are
bonded together by the greatest power in all of the
chemical world, the sp2 bond.


 Exceptionally strong: Carbon nanotubes are 300
times stronger than steel,

 Meaning you could potentially build towers hundreds

of kilometers tall ---- may be able to build space
elevators to take goods and people to space.
Nanodiamonds
 Nanodiamonds
 Nanodiamonds produced by compression of
graphite in 2003 : much harder than bulk
diamond: the hardest known material
 Incredibly strong, light, and made of pure carbon
 Amazing heat conductor and has the highest
melting point of all materials.
 Machines built with this material would be lighter,
stronger and more powerful than anything we
have today.
Amorphous Metals
 Amorphous
Metals
 By cooling molten metal quickly before it has time
to re-align its particles in a solid shape, we can
created amorphous metals - metals that have a
disorganized atomic structure.

 They are twice as strong as steel, and a few armies

are considering using them for shields.

 Have improved electricity conductivity and can

improve the efficiency of a power grid by up to
40%, saving a huge amount of energy and the
burning of fossil fuels.
E-Textiles!
Chameleon Scarf
made by Adafruit
 E-Textiles!
 In about 10 years, you will all be wearing E-
Textiles
 Why carry our cell phones or lap tops around
when we can just wear them?

 Clothes in the future will be embedded with

these tiny E-Textiles (already existing today) that
can monitor our health, project videos, make
phone calls, change colours at push of a button,
and connect to the Internet-- possibilities are
endless.
Innovation Determines Progress
Socio-economic development is no longer
dependent on natural resources (eg.Japan,
European countries)
KNOWLEDGE is now the main driving
force of world economies

INDUSTRIALIZATION is the key to high

GDP growth (through innovation /
production of high value-added goods
(engineering goods, pharmaceuticals, IT,
Biotechnology, Agro-food industry etc.)
Future of Internet
PAKISTAN’s Potential

Winners of International Science Olympiads

THANK YOU