27-year-old Usman was awarded the Commonwealth’s highest honor for young achievers by its newly appointed youth ambassador, Prince Harry of England in recognition of his efforts to promote and advance entrepreneurship.

Usman an engineer of the Ghulam Ishaq Khan (GIK) Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology went onto pursue his Masters in engineering management from Australia. After the completion of his degree with Distinction from the University of Wollongong he faced major roadblocks in pursuing a career in his new home country.

He then went on to cofound Catalysr a first of its kind startup incubator for refugees and migrant workers in Australia that enables and empowers migrants to start their own businesses using the skills and talent they already possess. It is a social enterprise that seeks to cultivate the mindset and skillset necessary for becoming a future business leader.

“A lot of migrants and refugees who come to Australia can’t get into employment for various reasons, cultural barriers, language barriers, helping them say there’s an alternative solution to employment which is entrepreneurship,” he said. He added “We don’t tell people what to do. We find a problem they’re trying to fix through their business, then help them with mentoring and capital to help it become a reality.”

Dozens have budding entrepreneurs and innovators have gone through the program so far ranging from an Egyptian food truck, to people trying to print 3D diamonds.  His venture extends support to a diverse community of migrants with entrepreneurial ideas. His enterprise operates with the goal “to provide an alternate pathway to people and unleash their untapped potential to help change the landscape not just for them but also their communities.”

The Accelertaor program is also complimented with a podcast that features Migrapreneur Stories of different startups in the industry to help other adopt best practices.

References:

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1688706/3-pak-australian-engineer-bags-commonwealth-young-person-year-award/

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/australian-who-empowers-migrants-in-business-takes-out-commonwealth-youth-award

https://nation.com.pk/18-Apr-2018/commonwealth-young-person-of-the-year-pakistani-australian-engineer-steals-the-show?show=preview/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/usmaniftikhar/

https://www.dawn.com/news/1402339

The observation came to light after a French meteorologist Etienne Kapikian, posted a tweet revealing that it was the warmest April temperature ever recorded in Pakistan and for the entire Asian continent. Christopher C. Burt, a renowned meteorologist and author of “Extreme Weather; A Guide and Record Book” observed that this was the highest temperature reliably observed on Earth in modern records.

It is still not weather Nawabshah’s temperature on Monday is a world record for the month of April, as certain reports suggest that Mexican city of Santa Rosa recorded 51 Celsius in April of 2001. However weather experts trust Christopher C. Burt’s analysis on Nawabshah’s temperature.

Several local news reporting agencies in Pakistan described the sweltering heat as unbearable causing several dozen people to faint due to a heatstroke. Many people have considered relocating as the temperatures will continue to soar with the approaching summer season.

Other countries across Middle East and South Asia also experienced an intense heat wave. A Chinese news agency recorded 42 Celsius in New Delhi on Monday. Meanwhile, Russia and Kazakhstan also recorded warmest April temperatures ever measured in the countries histories.

References:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2018/05/01/a-city-in-pakistan-may-have-just-endured-the-hottest-april-temperature-ever-observed-on-earth/?noredirect=on&sdfdsfdsfsfdds&utm_term=.4c2f4cf492ec

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/02/pakistani-city-breaks-april-record-with-day-of-50c-heat-nawabshah

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1700524/9-nawabshah-may-witnessed-hottest-april-temperature-ever-recorded/

https://gulfnews.com/news/asia/pakistan/pakistan-city-sets-possible-world-record-for-april-heat-1.2215537

The Transform Fund, launched last month in Tunisia aims to foster sustainable solutions through funding innovation and entrepreneurship in developing Muslim countries. Its mission is in alignment with UN’s Sustainable Development Goals that also aim to make provision for greater food security, healthy lifestyle, inclusive and equitable education, sustainable management of water and sanitation, access to affordable and clean energy, and sustainable industrialization across the developing world.

The fund was launched at the IsDB group’s Annual General Meeting in Tunisia. Speaking at the event H.E. Dr. Bandar Hajjar, President of the Islamic Development Bank said: “The Islamic Development Bank understands that people living in the developing world need more than just grant funding. They need sustainable solutions to help them build their own way out of poverty. At the same time, we do need to offer access to the resources they need to realize their goals and change the world. That is why we have launched Transform. We know that real financial support in the science and technology sectors is needed in order to drive inclusive and sustainable development. Transform will ensure our members have access to a vital flow of financing facilities to help finance innovative ideas linked to real development solutions.”

In addition the IsDB has also established two high level boards that constitute the world’s leading scientists, thinkers and policy makers who will provide counsel and expertise to ensure the fund is able to achieve its ultimate development objective.

The IsDB Scientific Advisory Board includes ten leading scientists including Prof. Zakri Abdul Hamid, Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia and Abdallah Daar, Professor of Public Health Sciences and of Surgery, University of Toronto. They will provide guidance in setting the Bank’s Science, Technology and Innovation strategy and will review applications for funding.

Moreover a Board of Trustees that constitutes dignitaries like Dr. Bandar Hajjar, President of the Islamic Development Bank Group and Mr. Mehmet Simsek, Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey among others has been set up to ensure that the fund works to accelerate economic and social progress in the developing world through the power of science, technology and innovation.

The launch event featured a host of prominent leaders including Dr. Hayat Sindi, Scientific Advisor to the IsDB and member of the UN Scientific Advisory Board. He said: “The projects supported by the Transform Fund will greatly benefit local communities in our member countries, as well as Muslim communities in non-member countries. We know that science and technology are critical enablers of every Sustainable Development Goal, which is why we are focusing so much of our attention on innovative partnerships built around science and tech-led solutions. Through Engage and the Transform Fund, we look to foster collaboration from all around the world to help ensure that everyone has the right to live in dignity and with access to basic human needs.”

Applicants who are interested in securing seed money for their startups or SMEs are invited to submit their business proposals by July 31, 2018.

References:

https://www.isdb-pilot.org/

https://aa.com.tr/en/economy/islamic-bank-idb-officially-launches-500m-science-fund/1107046

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-islamic-development-bank-launches-500m-innovation-fund-to-fuel-economic-growth-in-developing-world-678838373.html

https://www.isdb-engage.org/en/challenge/call-for-innovation-via-transform-fund

With the global introduction of high speed modes of transportation the UAE government sprang to the challenge of advancing these highly automated future transport systems on its home ground.
Which is why the first ever hyper loop passenger pods were unveiled at UAE’s Innovation exhibit at the final week of UAE innovation Month. The exhibit which was open to the public gave visitors a chance to witness the futuristic transportation system that is believed to revolutionize all aspects of terrestrial transportation.

Previously, a prototype of the Hyperloop which was initially conceptualized as a low cost, energy efficient model was unveiled by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in collaboration with Virgin Hyperloop One at City Walk. This move comes in the wake of one of many tangible efforts by the country to make 25 per cent of all journeys to be driverless by 2030.
The Hyperloop pod which is slated to be launched by 2020, is furnished with leather seats and high definition screens for displaying information. Each pod has the capacity to accommodate 12 passengers who will be travelling at speeds of over 1,000 kilometers an hour, making the normal 2 hour journey in under 12 minutes only. The Hyperloop will initially make journeys between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah and Dubai.

The hyperloop is designed in a way that the passenger pod is enclosed in a tube under a partial vacuum. The pods are made to levitate through the vacuum tube with the help of an electromagnetic propulsion system. The system hovers above the ground and is held in place by concrete columns thereby maintaining a straight trajectory. The pods do not have windows to avoid motion sickness.

A statement revealed that His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, director general of the RTA, said: ‘When introduced in future, the hyperloop technology will impact the town planning and the availability of parking spaces. ‘It will revolutionize people mobility between various destinations in the city, logistical hubs like airports and ports, and shipping patterns.

‘These pods, the first of their kind worldwide, have been designed to travel over short and medium distances on dedicated lanes. ‘They can be coupled in 15 to 20 seconds or detached, depending on the destination of riders, in five seconds. ‘They are fitted with cameras and electro-mechanical technologies to carry out the coupling and detaching processes, and this feature can be activated in-motion.’

Sources:
https://www.thenational.ae/uae/transport/first-look-prototype-for-hyperloop-unveiled-in-dubai-1.706889
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/transport/video-rta-unveils-hyperloop-prototype-in-uae-innovation-month-

Hasibun Naher from Bangladesh and Witri Wahyu Lestari from Indonesia were awarded a cash prize of US$5,000 at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which took place in Austin last month.

Dr. Witri Wahyu Lestari from the Sebelas Maret University in Indonesia received the award for her research on organometallic and co-ordination chemistry.  Dr. Lestari is a junior lecturer, her research focuses on advanced materials having widespread applications in areas such as molecular magnets, gas separation and storage, selective drug synthesis and delivery and environmental protection. As an example her work in Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) has enabled improvements in their use in fluorescence and as catalysts in energy conversion, methane and hydrogen storage, as well as in CO2 capture to reduce the greenhouse effect.

“As a chemist, the award from OWSD and the Elsevier Foundation is like an additional catalyst for me to be more productive in work, conducting research, educating and inspiring my students,” said Lestari. “Providing benefits to society and humanity are also main goals for me.”

Dr Hasibun Naher from Bangladesh is an associate professor of mathematics in the department of mathematics and natural sciences at Brac University was awarded the prize for her work in nonlinear partial differential equations. Her most recent contributions on tsunami simulation and research on travelling waves earned her recognition among four other early-career researchers.

“This prestigious award makes me more confident that I will reach my goals, by doing research in various fields in collaboration with international scientists and researchers from developed countries,” said Naher. “Since my childhood I have always thought about how to motivate female students in STEM to help them have prosperous lives in developing countries. I hope this award helps me to fulfill my dream.”

The two women are also credited with mentoring budding young scientists and motivating them to overcome the challenges they face as they pursue their passion for science.

The OWSD-Elsevier Foundation awards are part of a seven year partnership between the two organizations. The Elsevier Foundation supports knowledge centers around the world that focus on innovations in health, STEM education, research and technology for development. Whereas the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD) provides research training, career development and networking opportunities for women scientists throughout the developing world.

Sources:

http://www.thedailystar.net/city/bangladeshi-scholar-wins-intl-award-1536748

https://www.elsevier.com/connect/elsevier-at-aaasmtg-live-updates-with-women-in-science-winners

https://www.elsevier.com/about/press-releases/corporate-social-responsibility/five-women-scientists-in-developing-countries-win-2018-owsd-elsevier-foundation-awards

A number of studies point towards an emerging trend in western countries where Muslim women are increasingly participating in male-dominated STEM fields. Most of these immigrant women are serving an important role in the highly creative and innovative STEM fields. In fact they make up the largest number of highly skilled immigrants in STEM, fast outnumbering men.

In recent years more and more female immigrants are journeying to western countries due to their progressive policies and protection of rights. We look at some extremely talented young Muslim immigrant women who have made considerable strides in STEM fields despite the odds.

Alaa Muratib – UN High-Level Commissioner on Health Employment & Economic Growth.

In 2017, Dr. Alaa Murabit popularly nicknamed “The Libyan Doogie Howser” was recognized in Forbes magazine 30 under 30 health care category list for her leadership skills in global policy, advancing the role of women in peace and conflict resolution, sustainable development and security cooperation.

Born in Saskatoon, Canada, Alaa Murabit is the sixth child in a family of eleven children who had immigrated to Canada from Libya in the early 1980s. At the age of 15 she moved to Zawia, Libya to pursue medicine at University of Zawia. She later earned her Master’s degree from the London School of Economics.

During her fifth year at medical school at 21 years of age, Alaa founded the Voice of Libyan Women, a non-profit dedicated to promoting women’s participation in peace processes and conflict mediation. In an interview she shared that this organization was founded as an agent for change.

Today Murabit a medical physician, is serving as a United Nations high level commissioner on Health, Employment and Economic growth, in addition to being one of the 17 global sustainable goals advocate. She is the only serving commissioner who is under 45 years of age.

Ala’s contributions to global policy and advocating the rights of minorities were recognized by Harvard Law as she was awarded the tile of the youngest 2017 Woman Inspiring Change. She was also honored by Aspen Ideas and Bay Street Bull and was named Aspen Institute Spotlight Scholar, and Canada’s 30×30 respectively. The New York Times called her the “International Trust Women Hero 2014”, BBC featured her in its “100 Top Woman” the same year.

In 2013 she won the Trust Women Hero Award, while she is also the youngest person to receive the Marisa Bellisario International Humanitarian Award by the Italian Government.

Murabit an Ashoka Fellow from Libya was also featured in the 2014 edition of SAFE Global Heroes. Newsweek magazine listed her as the “One of 25 women under 25 to watch”.  Her Ted Talk, “What my religion really says about women,” was dubbed as one of the four “moving TED Talks to watch right now” by the New York Times.

Alaa’s research focuses on health employment and economic growth – she studied the issue of stigmatization and securitization of disease. She found that people tend to be securitized rather than the disease drawing the conclusion that this kind of response weakens national governance. She offered insights into how to better address diseases in a more holistic way.

In 2016, she founded the Omnis Institute that conducts a global Mentorship Program for empowering and training emerging local leaders. She currently serves as a trustee for The Malala Fund, International Alert, Malaria No More and Keeping Children Safe. She is also an advisor to many international security boards, think tanks and organizations, including the UN Women Global Civil Society Advisory Group and Harvard’s Everywoman Everywhere Coalition.

In a magazine interview, expressing extreme pride in her culture and Islamic roots she attributed her diplomacy and leadership skills to her upbringing and her parents influence. She credits her family especially her parents for her phenomenal success and her tightly knit family for instilling the qualities of an effective speaker and a diplomat.

 Anousheh Ansari – First Female Muslim Private Space Explorer & First Space Ambassador

Anousheh Ansari the Iranian born Astronaut is the first female space explorer and the Muslim world’s first female spaceflight participant. On September 18, 2006, she inspired millions around the world, as she made her first self-funded trip into space.

The Iranian-American Ansari moved to the states from Tehran when she was only 16 years old. Having not studied English before, she dedicated herself to her studies putting in extra effort and work to get her degree. She successfully completed her bachelor’s in electronics and computer engineering from George Mason University, followed by a master’s degree in electrical engineering from George Washington University.

In 1993, together with her husband and brother in law Ansari cofounded Telecom Technologies Inc., which emerged as one of Inc. magazine’s 500 fastest-growing companies and one of Deloitte & Touche’s Fast 500 technology companies. The company was later sold to Sonus Networks for 750 million dollars. She is also the cofounder and chairman of Prodea Systems Inc.

On May 5, 2004 Ansari along with her brother in law donated one million dollars to the X PRIZE foundation. The X PRIZE was officially renamed the Ansari X PRIZE in honor of their donation. She is also among the Broad members of the foundations Vision circle.

She has received numerous honors and accolades for her work in promoting STEM based education and for her humanitarian efforts. In 2015, she received the Space Pioneer Award by National Space Society for her “Service to the Space Community.” In 2012, her alma mater the George Mason University awarded her with an Honorary Doctorate of Science. She was also presented with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for her humanitarian work in 2010. In 2009, in recognition of her entrepreneurial accomplishments she was honored with the first NCWIT Symons Innovator Award by the National Center for Women & Information Technology that recognizes success women tech entrepreneurs. Fortune Magazine featured her in their 40 under 40 list in 2001 and Working Woman declared her the winner of the 2000 National Entrepreneurial Excellence Award.

Currently Anousheh is closely involved with organizations such as X Prize, ASHOKA and the PARSA Community Foundation to empower young entrepreneurs to ignite a global revolution for change.

 Sameena Shah – Director, Research at Thomson Reuters

Sameena Shah is the Director of Research for Thomson Reuters and one of the few Muslim women artificial intelligent experts. She leads NY teams’ R&D work in finding alpha from underexploited data sources. She has been leveraging big data analytics for finding predictive signals from textual information in corporate filings, news, social media, company hierarchy analysis etc. 

Sameena completed her Bachelors in Electronics Engineering from Jamia Millia Islamia in 2002 and in 2004 she studied Computer Applications for her Masters from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi. Her doctorate degree on “Distributed Machine Learning” was judged as the top one for the year across India. She was awarded the Ministry of Human Development & Research fellowship for pursuing her PhD. She worked extensively on artificial intelligence and published several papers in International journals. She was the recipient of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (USA) student scholarship in 2008. Her passion and zeal for the engineering sciences and her ability to apply logic to solve complex problems won her the 2009 “Google India Women in Engineering Award”. She displays an extreme passion for discovering patterns, creating algorithms and proposing a theory. She devised an algorithm in computerized cognitive learning with her team in India.

At Thomas Reuters Sameena and her team build Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence based capabilities for Thomson Reuters businesses. She is the architect of the Reuters News Tracer –  the world’s first fully autonomous machine that tracks breaking news stories from around the world, using topic-focused algorithms to find emerging events in social media.

Sameena is a board member of Cocoa Compassion, a social enterprise seeking to alleviate the social injustices in the cocoa supply chain.

She has the honor of being an award winning scientist who has authored more than 40 papers, has multiple patents, and is on the review panel of major CS/EE journals and conferences.

 Tahani Amer – Senior Technologist at NASA in Washington, D.C.

Tahani Amer a senior space technologist at NASA since 1992, has been playing an active role in the agency’s space research domain. Tahani who majored in aerospace engineering was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt and moved to the US at the age of 17. Despite being new to the American culture and being unfamiliar with the English language she aced her first ever Calculus exam in America. She completed her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and master’s degree in aerospace engineering. She earned her doctorate in engineering from Old Dominion University in Virginia.

Tahani started working at NASA during her senior year of college where one of her first projects was on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). This was a valuable learning experience which enabled her to work with renowned scientists and researchers using advanced technology.  Recalling her initial experiences at NASA Tahani says she felt like a little girl in a “candy store” who was enthralled by and amazed at working with large CFD computer codes and climbing up the ceiling of a wind tunnel to install a velocity probe. She later worked on wind tunnel experiments to test how materials would respond in high pressure environments.

Her work towards NASA’s Aeronautic Research efforts helped her gain tremendous knowledge from both a practical and theoretical point of view.

In 2014, NASA awarded her its Public Services award for her efforts to encourage women and minorities to pursue careers in science including participating in “Day of Caring”, Engineering Week, the Speakers Bureau, Diversity Day, and after school science clubs.

In 2011, she was invited to deliver a speech at the Peace week at Old Dominion University on the issue of Women in Islam. She was also a guest speaker at the Annual Luncheon for the Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) and chaired the Applied Science Session for the VSGC and the IPAO NASA Program Management Challenge 2011.

Her faith and science play pivotal role on her life as she is rigorously involved in community mosque programs and Arabic teaching centers. She leads her life in accordance to three principles that have helped her make huge strides in her personal as well as professional life. “Please God and you will please all. Education is the key to opportunity. Serve others with compassion and kindness.”

Manahel Thabet – Ranked among the 30 smartest people alive

 Yemini born Manahel Thabet is ranked among the 30 smartest people alive. Dr. Thabet a scientist, mathematician, engineer, economist and women’s rights activist is renowned for her superior intellect and brilliance. With an IQ of more than 168 she has earned the title of the Genius of the Year 2013 by the World Genius Directory representing ASIA and Brain of the Year Award in 2016. She earned her doctorate at the age of 25 becoming the youngest and only Arab to receive a Ph.D in financial engineering. She completed her degree at the University of Illinois and is working towards earning her second Ph.D. in quantum mathematics. In 2012 she came up with a revolutionary 350-page formula to calculate distance in space without the use of light.

In 2014 she was selected the AVICENNA Award Laureate as a successor to Professor Tony Buzan given every year to those who present best practice in science, connecting East with West through science and knowledge. In 2015 Dr. Thabet broke a new Guinness World Record in 2015 in one of the most complicated teaching methods.

She is currently the founder and president of SmartTips Consultants, President (MENA) of The Brain Trust Foundation, President of the World IQ Foundation, Vice President of the World Intelligence Network (WIN), and Deputy Director of the Institute for Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition and Vice Chancellor of The Gifted Academy.

Dr. Thabet is also the winner of Middle East Achievement Awards in Science and was ranked among the 100 most powerful Women in the Middle East and most powerful 500 Arabs in the World by Arabian Business. Dr. Manahel is a Royal Grand Cross Officer of the Companionate of the White Swan and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in London, UK. In 2016 she was bestowed with the prestigious honor of Freedom of the City of London. Lately she was featured among the BBC most inspirational 100 women around the world.

Ayah Bdier – one of the pioneers of the Maker Movement and Open Hardware Movement

Ayah Bdier the Labanese Canadain is the founder and CEO of LittleBits – LEGO like plastic units designed to spark the imagination of people in all age groups – encouraging them to create and invent.

She is deemed a pioneer in the Maker Movement and in the space of internet of things. An engineer by profession Bdier is famously known as an interactive artist for attempting to “break down complex technologies so that anyone can build, prototype, and invent.” She is an alumna of the MIT Media Lab where she received her master’s degree. She undertook her undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering and Sociology from the American University of Beirut.

Bdier founded the award winning electronic building blocks company in 2011 after participating in the World Maker Faire in New York City. She is also the recipient of the highly prestigious TED fellowship.
While delivering her hugely famous TED talk Bdier explained that she aspires to encourage a world of creators and inventors by allowing non engineers to program. She explained that LittleBits was conceived as a result of small construction blocks that form the basis of complex structures in many countries. Her company was named one of the 50 smartest companies in 2016 by MIT Technology Review.

She has been awarded numerous accolades including Business Insider’s 26 Most Powerful Women Engineers, a New York Hall of Science Creative Entrepreneur, Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Honoree, one of Inc. Magazine’s 35 Under 35, one of NY Business Journal’s Women of Influence, one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, one of Popular Mechanics’ 25 Makers Who Are Reinventing the American Dream, one of Entrepreneur’s 10 Leaders to Watch, one of the CNBC Next List, and one of MIT Technology Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35.

Sources

http://womeninengineeringpmcs.org/

http://knowwithoutborders.org/immigrants-women-and-stem/

http://www.anoushehansari.com/

http://cshlwise.org/wise-wednesdays/2017/3/29/tahaniamer

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/muslim-women-in-stem-to-know

The endemic influenza-A (H1N1 pdm09) circulation severely impacted Southern Punjab and adjoining areas where, according to the latest WHO’s findings almost 307 cases tested positive for the disease. Hospitals and treatment centers in Pakistan’s capital – Islamabad and neighboring Rawalpindi have reported rising levels of hospitalization and ICU admissions as compared to the previous season. In total, around 1,470 suspected cases of influenza-A have been reported from different parts of the country during the ongoing season.

However, despite reports of a flu epidemic sweeping the country, the Aga Khan University Laboratory reports no unusual activity in this year’s viral breakout. According to them, there hasn’t been an increase in rates of flu positivity from previous years, and that the current trends in positivity of samples indicates usual flu activity in the country.

Despite that, epidemiologists and health care professionals have called for dispensing timely and critical information to the masses especially during the Jan/Mar time period when reported cases are the highest.

According to WHO, seasonal influenza is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses. It is easily transmittable and can affect people in any age group. In temperate climates seasonal epidemics are more prevalent during winters.

Some of the safety measures issued by WHO and the National Institute of Health (NIH) include basic preventive measures such as good hygiene, regular handwashing, avoiding large gatherings and covering the cough and sneeze as it  can significantly help to control the spread of disease. Patients are also advised to seek help from a practitioner if signs of the flu arise. Some experts also suggest getting flu shots for those who are at high risk of contracting the disease. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends an annual flu shot for everyone older than 6 months of age.

Sources:

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1605591/1-influenza-deaths-baffle-experts/

https://www.dawn.com/news/1383308

https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2018/01/09/director-health-says-karachi-pollution-aggravating-h1n1/

http://www.who.int/influenza/surveillance_monitoring/updates/latest_update_GIP_surveillance/en/

Image taken from: https://tribune.com.pk/story/1604013/1-first-case-swine-flu-surfaces-lahore/

 The fossil being attributed to the extinct anthracothere family was excavated by Ghayyur Abbas, Chaudhry Abid Hussain and Mehtab Khan of the Punjab University. The foot long vestiges weighed up to 10 kilograms.

Scientists have long deliberated upon the origin of hippopotamus until recently, Fabrice Lihoreau, a palaeontologist at France’s University of Montpellier published a study revealing that hippos evolved from a group of semi-aquatic mammals with even-toed hooves called anthracotheres.

Previously fossilized remains of some of the world’s largest land dwelling mammals have been discovered in the Baluchistan province of Pakistan. For example between 2000 and 2003, in a major discovery a team of palaeontologists from University of Montpellier, France excavated the largest herbivorous land mammal in the world, later named Baluchitherium. The Baluchitherium which translates to the beast of Baluchistan weighed around 20 tons and measured up to 18 feet. It is believed to be a hornless ancestor of the present day rhinoceros.

A BBC news reported: “Baluchitherium is an extinct rhinoceros that lived during the Tertiary Period about 20 to 30 million years ago. With its long neck and legs, it was thought to feed high up in the trees. However, unlike the modern rhinoceros, the animal had no horn”. Its fossils were later preserved and put on display at the Geological Survey of Pakistan museum in Quetta.

Similarly in 2016, a group of researchers at the University of Punjab discovered 3 million years old fossilized tusks of the pre-historic elephant, near the district Jhelum in Pakistan’s Punjab province. These fossils of the Anancus – an ancestor of the elephant were eight feet long and eight inches in diameter. They were excavated from Siwalics rocks dated to be millions of years old.

Pre historic animal fossils have frequently been unearthed in various regions of Pakistan. The fossil remains of a 14 million years old Deinotherium also known as the “Terrible beast” were discovered at an excavation site near Chakwal.

Sources:

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1598074/1-33-million-year-old-fossil-extinct-anthracothere-found-pakistan/

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1052079/tusks-found-near-jhelum-are-three-million-year-old-claims-professor/

https://tribune.com.pk/story/959830/archaeological-find-pre-historic-elephant-skull-discovered-near-gujrat/

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2005/01/24_hippos.shtml

https://tribune.com.pk/story/68677/14m-year-old-fossils-of-terrible-beast/

https://www.dawn.com/news/592377

The satellite will carry a 435/145 MHz amateur radio linear transponder along with a Slow-Scan Digital Video system which will be used to broadcast clips of various local tourist attractions internationally.

The CubeSat which is a miniature version of a satellite has been set up to promote research and experimentation among university students in Jordan.  It also aims to facilitate wireless communication with stations worldwide.

The Jordan Times reported that, a team of 16 university students has been constructing the 1U CubeSat, supervised by a group of experts and academics through weekly meetings at the Royal Jordanian Radio Amateurs Society (RJRAS). RJRAS members Nart Tahamouqa, JY5IB, and Rafiq Farmawi, JY4CI, serve as advisers to the project.  Also part of the JY1SAT team is an ambitious 24-year-old Zeid Kawar, whose 2-month internship at NASA’s Ames Research Center inspired his interest in developing his country’s first nanosatellite.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince visited the Nanotechnology institute where he took part in the completion phase of the satellite. His foundation also extended support to develop the satellite by collaborating with the Innovative Solutions In Space and the AMSAT Radio Amateur Societies of the UK and the Netherlands. The Royal Jordanian Amateur Society heavily supported the mission by providing the necessary HAM Radio expertise and tools.

Jordan’s long cherished dream of designing and building their first artificial satellite became a reality due to its endorsement from Prince Hussein’s foundation, which was created to foster space research and satellite engineering under the STEM study (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) cohort among Jordanian universities. The project also runs an internship program for students at The Ames Research Centre hosted by NASA.  The JY1-SAT satellite is the first encounter of the Jordanian government in the space race and is scheduled to be launched in the first quarter of 2018. It is hoped that the project will help spur an interest in space research and technology and nurture the next generation of young Jordanians interested in space exploration.

References

http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/jy1-sat.htm

http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/crown-prince-puts-final-touch-mini-satellite-project

https://amsat-uk.org/2017/10/24/jordans-first-satellite-jy1-sat/

http://www.arrl.org/news/jordan-s-first-cubesat-set-for-early-2018-launch

Image taken from: https://www.isispace.nl/jordans-first-satellite-jy1-sat/

This year’s edition of the World Science Forum was held under the banner of ‘Science for Peace’ – a theme that may have appeared out of place only a decade ago but not in present times and certainly not in the Middle East which, today, is again one of the most volatile regions of the world and stands at a crossroads.  Nobody could ignore the irony of what had happened just over the preceding weekend as the bitter rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran promised to throw the region into yet another conflict, this time in the neighboring Lebanon.

The regional context notwithstanding, this was the first and the largest ever gathering of science policy makers in the Middle East, in particular, and the Islamic World, in general, and Jordan could be immensely proud of its achievement to accord science, often neglected in the region, with the status at the center stage that it did, albeit only for a short period of a week.

The WSF 2017 was held under the patronage of HRH King Abdullah ibn Al Hussein of Jordan and HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, Chair of WSF 2017 and President of the Royal Scientific Society. Welcoming the audience to the event King Abdullah expressed his hope that Jordan will act as an accelerator of global scientific collaboration, opportunity, and peace.

The focus of the four day Forum was on global issues like water scarcity, food security, energy and the right to education. Participants emphasized that science plays a vital role in creating equality and provides opportunities for growth. A partnership on Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) was also initiated to promote research and development in water availability and sustainable food production.

The event’s opening ceremony was marked by the entrance of “Pepper” the first humanoid robot in Jordan. The robot rolled on the stage accompanied by the Japanese-American physicist and futurist Michio Kaku. Speaking to the audience it announced its plans to stay in Jordan where it would be working with a team of students in the field of robotics, hardware and programming at the Princess Sumaya University for Technology. Later in the evening, Professor Michio Kaku, a keynote speaker at the event, declared that science is the engine of prosperity and called for all nations to capitalize on its remarkable benefits.

A plenary session was also held on ‘The opportunity and Challenges of Digital Transformation’. Damon Horowitz a philosophy professor and serial entrepreneur stressed on the need to devise innovative approaches to problem solving. He remarked, “We cannot solve the problems of today with the same mindset we had when we created them”. Abier Amarin Director CRDF Global MENA emphasized on the need to build a trust relationship between policy makers and young scientists. The forum also featured a panel discussion on cross disciplinary areas of science.

A number of international science organizations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),  International Council for Science (ICSU), World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, also featured at the Conference and organized several sessions.

One of these side events was also a Meeting of the Task Force on the Culture of Science in the Muslim World – an initiative of the Muslim World Science – that brought together 12 leading scholars from around the Muslim World into a two-day huddle to discuss ideas and issues that form the culture of science in the Muslim World.

The Task Force is being chaired by HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan and was convened by Prof. Nidhal Guessoum, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at American University of Sharjah and co-Convened by Dr. Moneef Zou’bi, Director General, Islamic World Academy of Sciences. Its members included, Dr. Muhammad Sabieh Anwar Associate Professor of physics at Lahore University of Management Sciences Pakistan, Dr. Athar Osama member of the Planning Commission, Government of Pakistan and also the Founder and CEO of Pakistan Innovation Foundation, Dr Dato’ Ir. Lee Yee Cheong, Honorary Chairman, International Science, Technology and Innovation Centre, Dr. Rana Dajani, Associate Professor at Hashemite University, Mohammed Yahia, the Executive Editor at Nature Middle East and President of World Federation of Science Journalists, Professor Jelel Ezzine Founding Chair Holder of UNESCO Chair on Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy, among various other eminent scholars, thinkers, practitioners, and science communicators from Jordan, Algeria, Tunisia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, and Lebanon. Participants discussed the reasons why a culture of science has failed to flourish in the Muslim world.

Speaking at the event Dr. Rana Dajani remarked that, “In the Muslim World, we always want quick results. We need to have a long-term view and need to strategize and implement initiatives to encourage scientific and critical thinking.”

Other task force members opined that there is a dire need of science communicators in the region who could communicate science related topics. Dr. Sabieh Anwar a proponent of quality science education in Pakistan heads an initiative that aims to develop and strengthen the science culture in Lahore’s educational institutions. He explained how his association that organized around 200 events used social media to market and promote the popular image of scientific content and method. He also shed light on the modern scientific edifice remarking that “a bulk of modern day scientific endeavors are translational”.  Other speakers noted that despite rapid global advancements in the field of science, a scientific culture has failed to take root in the Muslim world. Dr. Moneef Zou’bi, Director General, Islamic World Academy of Sciences (IAS) revealed that “few universities in Muslim countries have a department of science and technology studies”. He pointed out that the IAS is committed to promoting scientific and inquiry based education in these schools and universities.

Closing Declaration from the World Science Forum 2017

At the concluding session of the World Science Forum 2017 participants issued a global call to action for science and society to facilitate the role of science in addressing global challenges through science and evidence-informed policy. Members adopted a unanimous declaration in which they pledged to make sustained efforts to preserve and promote scientific capacities and harness the potential of science, technology and innovation to promote equal opportunity based sustainable and peaceful development. Partner organizations, scientists and decision makers offered their support and commitment for the launch of an Arab Science Forum to bring together science and research communities as they attempt to address critical regional challenges.

A Declaration adopted at the end of the conference highlighted five main areas on the theme of ‘Science for Peace’ for future implementation.

• The equitable and sustainable management of natural resources is essential to avoid conflicts and to promote peaceful development
• The preservation of scientific capacities, threatened by global migration trends, is key to peace, sustainable development, resilience and recovery
• Diversity is a key enabler of excellence in science, technology and innovation and is essential to optimize its relevance and impact
• A commitment to the fulfilment of the universal right to science
• Support of the launch of a regional science forum for the Arab World.

Sources:

https://worldscienceforum.org/

http://www.sciforum.hu/

https://twas.org/tags/world-science-forum

Image taken from: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/science-technology/science-governance/world-science-forum/