three day regional conference on `Women in Physics` concluded on Wednesday with the aim to take women on board in an effort to promote science and technology.

The conference was organised by the Quaid-i-Azam University`s (QAU) National Centre for Physics (NCP), the University of Peshawar (UoP) and the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), the Higher Education Commission, Comstech and the Centre for Physics Education.

On the final day of the conference, scholars from across the world presented research papers on nanotechnology, magnetism, solar waves, cosmology, lasers and art in science education.

NCP director general Dr Hafeez Hoorani presided over the concluding session, and said that women`s contribution to science could not be ignored. He gave the example of Fabiola Gianotta, the director general of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) who is playing a significant role in the promotion of science. Dr Dina Izadi from Iran, while discussing the role of the arts in science education, said that allowing young learners to experience science actively makes a difference to their lives.

Former health minister Dr Sania Nishtar also spoke at the conference. She said: `Fundamental strategic investment in higher education sector enabled many countries to take quantum leap economically and scientifically.

`The government`s promising budget for higher education is producing continued escalating trends in PhD students for the last 15 years. There is a dire need to develop an ecosystem to reap the benefits of science to society.

Dr Hoorani said recent trends have shown that female enrolment in universities is higher than male enrolment.

Dr Rasul Jan, the vice chancellor of UoP, said it is time to eradicate the stereotype that women cannot deliver up to the mark.

By Kashif Abbasi