PASTIC::News Letter

NEWSLETTER

PASTIC

Volume 8, Issue 4

April 2025

space btw new news

space btw upper footer

space btw pictures

title spce btw text

space btw pictures

Three-Days Training Workshop on

“AI & Data Sciences - (Advancing Research

across All Sciences)” held at PASTIC

Islamabad

Pakistan Scientiﬁc and Technological Information
Centre (PASTIC) successfully conducted a 3-days
training workshop on “AI & Data Sciences –
(Advancing Research across All Sciences)” on April
15–17, 2025 at PASTIC National Centre, QAU
Campus, Islamabad.

This initiative is part of PASTIC's mission to bridge
the gap between cutting-edge AI technologies and
researchers across all domains, empowering them to
leverage AI and data science in their scientiﬁc work.
Thirty nine (39) participants from prestigious
institutions such as Quaid-i-Azam University
(QAU), International Islamic University (IIU),
Health Services Academy (HSA), FAST-NUCES,
Rawalpindi Women University (RWU) and many
others enthusiastically participated, showcasing their
commitment to innovation and interdisciplinary
learning.

The workshop was thoughtfully designed to be both
accessible and impactful, ensuring that participants
could conﬁdently apply Artiﬁcial Intelligence within
their respective ﬁelds. Through a blend of live
demonstrations, interactive sessions, and real-world
case studies, attendees were guided step by step,
making complex AI concepts more intuitive and
practical. The approach fostered an engaging learning
environment, allowing even those with no prior
programming experience to grasp the essentials,
experiment with AI tools, and develop a foundational
understanding that could be directly implemented in
their work.

The workshop concluded with a feedback session and
the distribution of certiﬁcates of participation Mr.
Rana Zia Javid Joyia, Chief Librarian, QAU,
Islamabad was invited as chief guest of the closing
ceremony. He commended PASTIC's unwavering
dedication to fostering the skill development of
young research students, recognizing its vital role in
shaping future innovators and scholars.

A participant receiving certiﬁcate from Saifullah Azim,

Principal System Analyst, PASTIC

Group photo of the participants of training workshop with

DG, PASTIC, Prof. Dr. M. Akram Shaikh

Two-Days Training Workshop on “Evaluation

of National Poverty Graduation Program

(NPGP)–Time Allocation Analysis”

The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics
(PIDE), in collaboration with PASTIC Sub Centre
Karachi, organized a two-days training workshop titled
“Evaluation of National Poverty Graduation Program
(NPGP) – Time Allocation Analysis” on April 12-13, 2025
at PASTIC Sub Centre Karachi.

NEWSLETTER

PASTIC

Volume 8, Issue 4

April 2025

space btw new news

space btw upper footer

space btw pictures

title spce btw text

space btw pictures

The training aimed to build capacity in evaluating the
eﬀectiveness of the National Poverty Graduation Program
(NPGP), which is designed to assist the ultra-poor and
very poor in sustainably graduating out of poverty, while
also improving food security, nutritional status, and
resilience to climate change. A total of 16 participants from
various districts of Sindh and Balochistan attended the
program, ensuring diverse regional representation.

Ms. Afsheen Tariq, Assistant Director of PASTIC Sub
Centre, Karachi, commenced the session by introducing
PASTIC's services and emphasizing the organization's
vital contribution to research and development throughout
Pakistan.

Dr. Shujaat Farooq, Chief of Research / Director
(Research) at PIDE, and Ms. Nabila Kanwal served as the
resource persons for the workshop.

Dr. Farooq delivered a comprehensive presentation and
conducted hands-on training sessions, focusing on time
allocation analysis as a key methodological tool

evaluating the impact and eﬀectiveness of the
graduation program.

session

“Scientists Convention” on the theme 'Science for

Socio-Economic Development’

The Scientists Convention was successfully held with
joint collaboration of Punjab University Institute of
Botany, Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Pakistan Science

Foundation and PASTIC on April 23-24 & 30,

2025 at Al Raazi Hall, Lahore.

The event was attended by Former Federal Minister for
Food Security and President Pakistan Academy of
Sciences, Dr. Kauser Abdullah Malik; Director Research
PSF, Dr. Mirza Habib Ali; Professor Emeritus GCU
Lahore, Dr. Ikram-ul-Haq; PU Dean Faculty of Agricul-
tural Sciences, Prof Dr. Saleem Haider; Additional
Director PASTIC, Mr. Ali Raza Khan; scientists; research-
ers; faculty members and students. Prof. Dr. Muhammad
Ali, Vice Chancellor, Punjab University highlighted the
challenges emerging from rural-to-urban migration in
Pakistan, emphasizing the consequent decline in agricul-
tural land during his speech. He pointed out that a signiﬁ-
cant portion of food is wasted daily and warned that
Lahore's declining water levels are heightening the risk of
drought. He urged the government to leverage scientists
from PSF and PAS in developing a comprehensive
strategy to address water, food security, agriculture, and
climate change.

Dr. Kauser Abdullah Malik underscored the importance of
prioritizing inclusive policies, sustainable practices, and
collaborative initiatives as we work toward achieving the
SDGs by 2030. He stressed the need for the federal
government to strengthen PSF by ensuring adequate
ﬁnancial support and eﬀective leadership. Additionally, he
commended PSF's contributions to socioeconomic
development through its sponsorship of scientiﬁc research
under the Pakistan Science Foundation. Dr. Mirza Habib
Ali, while shedding detailed light on the Pakistan Science
Foundation, said that the PSF is an apex institution for the
promotion of basic research on scientiﬁc issues related to
the socio-economic development of the country.

Group photo of the organizers with VC Punjab University,

Dr. Muhammad Ali on “Scientists Convention”.

Resource person, Dr. Shujaat Farooq conducting the training

session

NEWSLETTER

PASTIC

Volume 8, Issue 4

April 2025

space btw new news

space btw upper footer

space btw pictures

title spce btw text

space btw pictures

Mr. Ali Raza Khan, Additional Director (STI),
highlighted that the Pakistan Science Foundation
(PSF), established in 1973, was founded with the
vision of advancing scientiﬁc knowledge and
supporting research initiatives. He emphasized PSF's
leading role in promoting science education and
research, acknowledging that a strong scientiﬁc
foundation is crucial for socio-economic develop-
ment. According to recent reports, PSF has approved
various research projects under its Competitive
Research Program (CRP), spanning diverse areas of
applied research, including the development of
prototypes such as indigenous ventilator machines
and diagnostic catheters.

a) Ms. Afsheen Tariq, Assistant Director (STI) at PASTIC
Sub Centre Karachi, attended the “WIPO Inventor
Assistance Program (IAP) – Inventor-Volunteer
Networking & Promotional Event” held on April 9, 2025
at Pearl Continental Hotel, Karachi. The event was jointly
organized by the Intellectual Property Organization (IPO)
Pakistan and the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO). During the event, Ms. Afsheen Tariq engaged
with ORIC heads from various universities and local
patent attorneys to explore opportunities for future
collaboration in the ﬁeld of intellectual property and
innovation support.

b) Mr. Syed Shabib Zaidi, Science Assistant at PASTIC
Sub Centre Karachi (PSCK), visited the 29th Textile Asia
Exhibition organized by Ecommerce Gateway Pakistan
(Pvt.) Ltd, Karachi on April 14, 2025 at the Expo Centre
Karachi. He explored opportunities for knowledge
exchange, assessed technological innovations relevant to
the textile and allied sectors, and identiﬁed potential
avenues for future collaboration, aligning with PASTIC's
mission to advance scientiﬁc and industrial development
in Pakistan.

Event/ Webinar /Meeting Attended

c) Mr. Syed Shabib Zaidi, Science Assistant at PASTIC
Sub Centre Karachi (PSCK), visited the International
Garments Textile Machinery and Accessories Exhibition
(IGATEX) Pakistan organized by FAKT Exhibitions
(Pvt.) Ltd., Karachi on April 25, 2025 at the Expo Centre,
Karachi.

d) PASTIC Sub Center, Faisalabad and NTU Library,
celebrated World Book and Copyright Day on April 23,
2025, with an Awareness Walk and speeches highlighting
the importance of books in the digital age. Prof. Dr. Zafar
Javed, Dean of the School of Arts & Design and Mr.
Muhammad Hasnain Additional Director, PASTIC Sub
Center Faisalabad emphasized the importance of reading,
highlighting its transformative impact and timeless joy,
especially in today's digital age.

e) Mr. Abdul Khalique Sial, Assistant Director STI, PSC
QTA held a meeting with Mr. Abdul Salam Kakar,
Director, Seena Institute of Medical Sciences Quetta, and
briefed in detail about PASTIC/PMNH Services and
Promotion of Science by PSF Science Caravan at (Urban
& Rural areas of Balochistan) on April 28, 2025.

f) PASTIC Sub Centre Quetta organized PASTIC Aware-
ness Seminar at Seena Institute of Medical Sciences
Quetta.

g) Mr. Saifullah Azim, Principal System Analyst, at-
tended a specialized training program on “Project

Group photo of the school children along with Muhammad

Hasnain Additional Director, PASTIC Sub Center Faisalabad.

NEWSLETTER

PASTIC

space btw new news

space btw upper footer

space btw pictures

title spce btw text

space btw pictures

Volume 8, Issue 4

April 2025

Monitoring & Evaluation” from April 9-11, 2025, at
PPMI Islamabad.

The training aimed to enhance participants' understanding
of eﬀective project assessment methodologies, ensuring
improved monitoring and evaluation processes in
professional settings.

h) Dr. Muhammad Usman, DBA, PASTIC, has success-
fully completed the training on "Manual for Development
Projects" organized at PPMI, Islamabad, from April 21 to
25, 2025. The program provided comprehensive insights
into the entire project lifecycle, from initial identiﬁcation
to ﬁnal evaluation, with detailed guidance on preparing
PC-I to PC-V forms.

Group photo of the participants, on “Project Monitoring &

Evaluation”with Director General PPMI

Muzaffarabad Sub-Center

AJK University, New Campus, Challabandi, Muzaffarabad

pastic.2011@gmail.com
Tel: 05822 960414

Quetta Sub-Center

Art Campus, University of Balochistan, Quetta.

pastic.qta@gmail.com

Tel: 03337823390

Peshawar Sub-Center

Pakistan Forest Institute,University Campus, Peshawar

pasticpsh@yahoo.com