For the love of science
How exciting it is to watch and understand the science of ice-cream making! And, how ‘more exciting’ it would be if you watch it in the presence of Chief Minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah! While I tried to figure out what was going on in the room bursting with the smell of chocolate and cream, cameramen dashed into the room pushing us all to the walls to make space for the VIPs. The room was soon filled with media personnel and security guards. Others, after failing to find any chance to see the demonstration, dispersed. After all, there were so many amazing things happening at Magnifi-Science exhibition.
Magnifi-Science exhibition a three-day (September 23-25) event organised by The Dawood Foundation was open to all, including politicians and industrial leaders. Participants were provided proper space, guidance and facilities for exhibiting creative science projects and models.
Taking care of Mother Nature
Some projects focused on the need to switch to sustainable sources of power generation. World Wide Fund (WWF) representatives demonstrated their projects on sub-watershed management to protect forests in Northern areas of Pakistan; Reon displayed model houses to show how solar panels work to generate electricity; Engro team proudly talked about their TenagaWind FarminGharo which would use wind power to generate electricity.
Boundless options
Students from Dawood University of Engineering and Technology, Textile Institute of Pakistan and NUST also participated in this exhibition to showcase their projects on robotics, space science, mechanics and textiles. The projects guided students about the limitless options that science offers other than physics, chemistry and biology. ‘Such exhibitions spark ideas and you are able to think outside the box,’ a teacher commented while emphasising on the importance of career counselling
Afeera, a student from NUST, who had also participated in the Shell eco-marathon, was present with her fuel-efficient car. ‘We want to become a source of inspiration for other students; everybody is asking questions and we are happy to answer them,’ she said.
Highway to success
The best part of the exhibition was to meet some of the budding scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs of Pakistan who seemed very optimistic about the future of science in Pakistan.
Abdul Basit, a member of Pakistan Science Club, didn’t mind explaining his project again and again; he took pride in his invention of grey water treatment plant, which purifies dirty water so that it could be reused. In another room, team members of iGem interacted with the visitors and showed them presentation on the work they were doing in the field of Synthetic Biology to solve environmental problems. The founders of Wonder Tree introduced us to the games they have created for children with special needs.
We keep hearing that Pakistan is way behind in the scientific development, but I think slowly and gradually we are making progress.
The Karachi Youth Festival (KYF) kicked off at the Arts Council of Pakistan on September 24 amidst a great deal of merriment. Around 15,000 participants between the ages 14 and 28 were registered irrespective of their socio-economic, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds.
It was repeatedly emphasised that the festival helped in breaking the barriers that hinder the growth of our youth and restrict their freedom of expression. Prior to the festival, the Chairman KYF, Ahmad Shah insisted on unearthing the talent by bringing our youth closer to art and culture. The eight-day festival was divided into 12 categories which included singing, theater, painting, comedy vines, short film, photography, dance, quiz and declamation contests and essay writing. To motivate the participants, council also gave away cash prizes of Rs 100,000 to the winners in all categories.
Throughout the festival, participants enjoyed fun-packed theatrical, dance and musical performances. The festival ended onhigh note on October 1with the promise of a brighter future.
Seminar for TCF Students
After the resounding success of their ‘A Kilo of Kindness’ initiative in which 60 kilograms of school supplies were donated to The Garage School, Movenpick Hotel Karachi organised an educational seminar for students of The Citizens Foundation (TCF) to celebrate World Literacy Day.
The aim of the programme was to counsel students, particularly with respect to the opportunities in the hospitality industry of the country.
The seminar was not only on the educational aspect, but also on the importance of adequate and relevant practical experience. Manager Communications, Amara Ashraf, spoke at length about the different departments they can intern (and eventually get a job) at the hotel. While theoretical knowledge is necessary for a strong foundation, hands-on experience is crucial in the present competitive scenario.
Talent hunt
Huawei Live Campaign has officially begun to find ‘The voice of Huawei live 2016’. ‘There is no criterion as such; anyone can participate since our only purpose is to promote music,’ commented Salman Javed, Marketing Manager Huawei. ‘In fact, we have created an Android-based application so that people can audition from home only. Simultaneously, we will be visiting around 50-60 universities all across Pakistan. Following this round, the judges will shortlist and audition the contestants in person; the finalists will get a chance to perform in a concert with the same judges.’
Guiding and grooming these passionate youngsters are music sensations Ali Sethi, Nabeel Shaukat and Amanat Ali. ‘It was heartening to see the crowd cheering and supporting each other to audition,’ Nabeel commented after his back-to-back appearance at Iqra University and Mohammad Ali Jinnah University in Karachi on September 29 and 20.