Like other science and technology-oriented states in Asia, Pakistan is an important state having a large pool of scientists, engineers, doctors and professors in academia assuming their roles in scientific research & development. Journalism in Pakistan has laid the foundation of science awareness in general public and also in scientific planning and development sectors of the country. Establishment of Higher Education Commission of Pakistan in 2002 by Pakistani scientist Prof. Atta ur Rahman, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission head Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan and Atomic Physicist Dr Ishrat Usmani have paved the way of growing science academic culture in Pakistan.
Pakistani Physicist and Noble laureate Dr. Abdus Salam was the pioneer in laying the foundation of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission and Space exploration Agency (SUPARCO). Dr Abdus Salam is considered as the founder of Physics research in Pakistan. Due to his grand theory or Unified Theory of Quantum Physics, Europe has developed the most sophisticated laboratory of CERN to test his theory in a large Hadron Collider to harness the most powerful subatomic particle and dark matter of the universe. Consequently, the most powerful subatomic particle the God particle or the Higgs Boson was harnessed successfully. Hence, the grand theory or unified theory of quantum physics was proven to be applicable.
Dr. Abdus Salam and Indian Prof. Subhramanyun Chandrashankar are considered the fathers of modern physics. Prof. Chandrashankar was considered the pioneer physicist who developed and designed the initial theory of black hole to detect the micro and mega black holes in the known universe.
Similarly, Pakistan needs more scientists to make it an innovate and creative state with high GDP and soft image of growing creative industries like knowledge-based economies and growing field of technocracy in Asian and South African countries. Individuals who have reached the pinnacle of success in the fields of science and technology are appointed as technocrats. These individuals have specialized training and the approach to solve the societal problems by their appropriate knowledge and experience. Technocrats are driven by their problem solving mindsets. These days, global prevalence of technology is due to successfully comprehending technology and its creation for social benefits.
In modern democratic states, technocrats are selected for certain tasks on the basis of their knowledge and not due to their political popularity. They are selected on the basis of their expertise and leadership skills in certain fields, through bureaucratic process rather than democratic elections. They have the wisdom of looking at the bigger picture of a subject. In other words, they have the privilege of bypassing the politicians in policy making matters. They have the skills of turning election pledges of politicians into policies and programs for the development of countries.
Pakistan ranks 131 out of 141 countries in terms of innovation. It needs more technocrats and science diplomats for economic and cultural growth of the country. To uplift the Pakistani ranking among innovative states, Pakistan needs following crucial steps to be adopted in their education, health and science sectors. Pakistan should raise the standard and quantity of its researchers and PhD scholars. Implementation of polymathy and dynamic system of organizing knowledge of various fields would raise the creative and imaginative level of the scientists. Incorporation of logic, art and philosophy in the curriculum would uplift the levels of imagination. Level of imagination would not only improve your memorizing power but also make your mind clearer and faster in thinking. Faster the imagination, faster would the new ideologies and technologies develop. Imaginations and science dreaming make more innovations and breakthrough scientists. Consequently, it will raise your wisdom, creativity and nobility; this is why it is rightly said that, “imagination is more important than knowledge”.
So, there is no brain that could reach the legendary threshold of nobility and wisdom just by memorizing knowledge. Knowledge memorization can make you professional but understanding and creating knowledge makes you wise, noble and a legendry. Therefore, we can lead in science and industry with more wise, noble and legendary brains rather than knowledge and data holding brains of professionals. So, we have to research more tools that enhance imaginations rather than memorizing the knowledge and using a large portion of our brain energy with holding the knowledge as data.
Our generation cannot get rid of traditional thinking unless they reorganize the knowledge in their own way to get out of traditional system and start thinking “out of the box” or super imagination system of creativity and innovations. On the other hand, senior scientists and professionals deputed for tenure tracks and professor emeritus status in HEC should give more time to their research projects rather than administrative and management positions. This way, we have to manage, organize and depute the science talents in different fields to put in their research talent for creating a system of innovations and creativity in Pakistan.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in London.
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