Tariq Bashir

1
Status of Science and Technology in Pakistan

• Tariq Bashir
• Pakistan Council for Science and Technology
• Islamabad
• November 8, 2006

2
Overview

• System of ST Governance
• Status of ST Development and ST Statistical
  Indicators
• Current ST Policy Initiatives

3
Overview of ST Governance System in Pakistan
Senate Standing Committee on S,T Education
Prime Minister
PAEC HEC
Pakistan Council for ST
ST / RD Organizations
Ministries of IT Telecom., Agriculture,
Education, Industries, Health etc.
4
National Commission for Science and Technology
(NCST)

• Constituted in 1984
• Apex body on ST matters headed by PM
• 27 members
• PCST is Secretariat of NCST
• Acceleration of scientific and technological
  capacity building for rapid and sustainable
  economic growth
• Consideration of major programmes of ST sector
  and establish guidelines
• Coordination of inter-ministerial and
  inter-provincial ST programmes

Details
5
Status of ST Development and ST Statistical
Indicators
6
Status of ST Development and ST Statistical
Indicators

• ST Development in Historical Perspective
• ST Manpower
• RD Expenditure
• Information Technology

7
ST Development in Historical Perspective

• At the Time of Independence in 1947
• Meager Human and Financial Resources
• Poor Infrastructure
• Only 4 Laboratories
• Two Universities
• One Agricultural College
• Excludes East Pakistan

8
ST Development in Historical Perspective..2

• At Present
• Independent Ministries for
• Science and Technology
• Information Technology and Telecommunications
• Higher Education Commission
• 85 Major ST Organizations with 228 research
  institutes / centres / labs etc.
• 114 Universities / Degree Awarding Institutes
  including
• 11 Engineering and Technology Universities
• 6 Agricultural Universities
• 7 Medical Universities

9
Growth of Higher Education Institutions in
Pakistan
Source HEC
10
ST Manpower
Source PCST
11
Growth of PhDs in Pakistan
Source PCST
12
Researchers by Level of Qualification
Source PCST
13
Number of Researchers by Field of Science
Source PCST
14
Percent of Total Researchers Working in Higher
Education and Public Sector RD Organizations
Source PCST
15
Researchers by Field of Science in Higher
Education
Source PCST
16
Researchers by Field of Science in Public Sector
Organizations
Source PCST
17
RD Expenditure
Source PCST
18
RD Expenditure as Percent of GDP
Source PCST
19
Share of Different Funding Sources in Total RD
Expenditure
Source PCST
20
Field-Wise Expenditure of RD Organizations
Source PCST
21
Field-Wise Expenditure of Higher Education
Institutions
Source PCST
22
Information Technology
Source PSEB
23
Information Technology2
Source PSEB
24
Increase in Operative Bandwidth
Decrease in Price of the Bandwidth
25
Spread of Internet Services in Pakistan
26
Growth of Internet Users in Pakistan
27
Current ST Policy Initiatives
28
Main Areas of Current Initiatives
Estimate of PSDP for the financial year 2006-07
29
Human Resource Development

• Indigenous PhD Programme
• Merit Scholarship Scheme for PhD in S
• Split PhD Programme
• Post-Doctoral Fellowship Programme
• Foreign Scholarships for PhD
• Teachers and Researchers Overseas Scholarship
  Scheme (200 scholarships per year)
• PhD Scholarships in Natural and Basic Sciences,
  China (50 scholarships)
• PhD Scholarships in Engineering Sciences, China
  (40 scholarships)
• PhD Scholarships for Engineering, Sciences and
  Technology, Austria (40 scholarships)
• PhD Scholarships in Natural and Basic Sciences,
  France (40 scholarships)

30
Human Resource Development2

• PhD Scholarships in Engineering and ST, Germany
  (40 scholarships)
• MS / MPhil leading to PhD in Engineering, Natural
  and Basic Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences
  for Teachers of Weaker Universities (100
  scholarships)
• Availing Services of Expatriate Pakistani
  Scientists and Engineers and Foreign Academicians
• Curriculum Development at Graduate and
  Post-graduate Leve
• Strengthening of Polytechnics (Introduction of
  New Technologies / Trades in 6 Selected
  Institutions)
• Training of Laboratory Technicians
• Participation of Scientists and Technologists in
  International Conferences, Seminars etc.
• Special ST Allowance
• Research Productivity Allowance

31
Up-Gradation of RD Infrastructure and Launching
of RD Programmes

• Peer Review of RD Organizations
• Restructuring of RD Organizations
• Increase in the Recurring Budget of RD
  organizations
• Repair and Maintenance of Laboratory Equipment
• National Science Libraries
• Establishment of Endowment Funds for Engineering
  Universities
• Support for Scientific Societies
• RD Programmes in Priority Areas

32
Technology Development and Industrialization

• Pakistan Technology Board
• Technology Development Fund
• Venture Capital Fund
• Technology Cluster Centres
• Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority
• Establishment of Pakistan National Accreditation
  Council
• Crash Awareness Raising and Training Programme in
  Quality Management
• Industrial Analytical Centres
• Science and Technology for Economic Development

33
Strengthening of Policy, Coordination and
Management Structure

• Strengthening of MoST and PCST
• Improving Provincial Coordination
• Enhancing International Cooperation

34
Information Technology

• Human Resource Development
• Enabling Measures
• E-Government
• Industry Support
• Policy Initiatives to Encourage Foreign Direct
  Investment

35
Human Resource Development

• Seven new IT universities
• Virtual University has been
• Funding public sector degree-awarding institutes
  to increase the intake of Bachelors and Masters
  in IT
• Faculty of international caliber invited to join
  local universities
• Large number of scholarships for Bachelors and
  Masters
• Promotion of IT education at school and college
  level
• Short training in basic IT education, in Medical
  Transcription, Cisco and Legal Transcription
• Projects for training high level IT professionals
  (PhDs)
• National Testing Service similar to GRE and SAT

36
Enabling Measures

• IT Law facilitate e-commerce and provides a
  legal cover to on-line transactions requiring
  digital signature and authentication
• Accreditation of IT Education supported by an
  Ordinance

37
E-Government

• The web portal for the Government of Pakistan,
  web sites of 34 Federal Ministries / Divisions
  and 3 special purpose websites developed
• Office Automation of Government Ministries
• Automation of Salary withdrawal of Federal
  Employees from ATMs
• The automation of the District Governments (2
  model districts in each of the 4 provinces and
  Azad Jammu Kashmir)
• Internal Email and Mail Tracking system for
  improving the accountability of action handling
  and speeding up intra-ministerial communication

38
Industry Support

• Quality Standards subsidize to IT companies in
  preparing for certifications for ISO 9001 and CMM
• Assistance to local IT companies in international
  marketing
• Assistance in execution of business plans for
  domestic marketing (remove bottlenecks, and
  organize local IT events and exhibitions)
• An information centre for IT industry with an
  up-to-date library in major cities
• Industrial Automation programme
• Measures to increase investment in IT industry
  (IT infrastructure, education, medical legal
  transcription, IT call centres and wireless
  communications)

39
Policy Incentives to Encourage FDI

• Reduction in bandwidth rates from US 43,500 per
  month per Mbps to US 2,000 per month per Mbps
• 15-year income tax exemption for IT companies
• Income tax rebate of 50 on income of IT
  professionals
• Software exporting companies are allowed to
  retain 35 of their earnings in foreign currency
  accounts
• Reduction in royalties charged on Payphone
  companies from 4 to 1.5 and ISPs from 1.5 to
  0.66
• ISPs intending to start business in the province
  of Balochistan get a reduction of 50 in their
  license fee for 5 years

40
Policy Incentives to Encourage FDI2

• Zero percent import duty on computers and
  computer parts
• Full repatriation allowed for capital gains,
  dividends and profits
• Processing period for license applications in the
  deregulated sector reduced from 12 months to 7
  days only
• Tax relief for first year allowance _at_ 90 of
  machinery cost (50 on equipment for IT services)
• Seven-year income tax holiday to Venture-Capital
  Funds
• Deregulation of several financially attractive IT
  and telecom value-added services

41
Biotechnology

• Thrust Areas of Biotechnology Policy
• Human Resource Development
• Research and Development
• Marine Biotechnology
• Industrial Biotechnology
• Health
• Agriculture
• Environment
• Bioinformatics
• Public Awareness
• IPR and Ethical Considerations

42
Thank You
43
Composition of NCST
Chairman Prime Minister of Pakistan Vice
Chairman Minister for ST Member/Secretary
Chairman, PCST
Other Members

• Chairman, Higher Education Commission
• Chairman, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
• Chairman, Pakistan Council for Scientific and
  Industrial Research
• Chairman, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council
• President, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of
  Commerce Industry
• Scientists/Technologists nominated by Prime
  Minister (3)
• Industrialists nominated by Prime Minister (2)

• Minister for Finance
• Minister for Agriculture
• Minister for Industries
• Minister for Education
• Provincial Ministers for ST (4)
• Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
• Secretary, STR Division
• Secretary, ITTelecom Division
• Secretary, Ministry of Education
• President, Pakistan Academy of Sciences
• Chairman, Pakistan Engineering Council

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