LAHORE: The Government College University (GCU) and the National Centre for Physics (NCP) Islamabad on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for collaboration in research.

A ceremony was held at the university`s committee room where NCP Director General Prof Dr Hafeez R Hoorani and GCU Vice Chancellor (VC)Prof Dr Hassan Amir Shah signed an eight-point accord.

NCP head of laser plasma physics Dr Muhammad Aslam Baig, Collaborations and Academic Activities Director Dr Rif fat Muhammad Qureshi, TDP Director Dr Mohsin Siddique, GCU deans Prof Islamullah Khan and Prof Dr Raiz Ahmad, Prof Salam Chair in Physics Dr G Murtaza and Registrar Saboor Khan also attended the ceremony.

Addressing the ceremony, GCU Academic Planning and External Link Director Fouzia Shahin said the scope of collaboration included enhanced utilisation of NCP Islamabad`s science equipment by university researchers, exchange ofexperts for technical and scientific trainings, sharing research data, archives and publications, and cooperation for scientific research on projects of national interest.

She said the MoU would also create possibilities for researchers from GCU to work at NCP.

Prof Hoorani said that NCP was a national facility for people who had sound knowledge and expertise in physics and allied disciplines. He said the centre had scientific cooperation agreements with several international centres of scientific excellence and learning.

He also shared the achievements and role of Pakistani physicists in various scientific inventions innovations.

VC Prof Shah lauded the role of NCP in promotion of research in physics as well as breaking the isolation of Pakistani researchers from the international scientific community to establish links among academia, industry and research institutes for the intellectual growth.

GCU and NCP also agreed to hold joint international conferences, workshops, seminars and talks for the promotion of research in physics and allied disciplines.