The opening session of the 19th International Symposium on Material Science at the National Center for Physics in Islamabad announced a major step toward strengthening Pakistan’s science-driven economy with plans to establish the AQ Khan Institute of Material Sciences at Quaid-i-Azam University under PSDP funding.
The new AQ Khan Institute is framed as a modern research centre that will link academic inquiry with industrial application, providing fellowship programmes for young scientists, industry-linked PhD schemes, and international research partnerships to raise the technical capacity of Pakistan’s workforce.
Officials described the initiative as part of the Udaan Pakistan vision, aimed at transforming science and technology into the foundation of economic change. The plan targets equipping some 25,000 annual STEM graduates with global-standard skills through practical training, fellowships and collaborative projects that bridge labs and factories.
Speakers at the symposium emphasised that sustainable progress requires close collaboration between public and private sectors, industry and academia. They stressed that factories should evolve into centres of research and innovation rather than remain assembly units, and that the AQ Khan Institute will act as a focal point for such transformation.
Backers say the AQ Khan Institute of Material Sciences will help build national self-confidence, foster scientific leadership and open pathways to lasting prosperity for future generations by strengthening research capacity and industry partnerships across Pakistan.
