Three centres of excellence launched* *Innovation, creativity, vital for progress: Ahsan Iqbal

Islamabad(Adnan hameed): The Ministry of Planning Development & Special Initiatives formally launched three centres of excellence __ which include National Center for Manufacturing (NCM), National Centre for Quantum Computing (NCQC) and National Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (NCNN). The formal launch was held at the Planning Ministry where Federal Minister for Planning Development & Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal was the chief Guest. The event was attended by the Deputy Speaker National Assembly, Zahid Akram Durrani, Secretary Ministry of Planning Syed Zafar Ali Shah and Vice Chancellors (VCs) of Universities. The Centres will be established in Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology - GIK Institute – GIKI, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi Al-Khawarizmi Institute of Computer Science, University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore NUST, Islamabad. The NCQC is not merely about adopting an emerging technology; it is a)bout fostering a culture of innovation, nurturing a new generation of thinkers, and catalyzing the transformation of Pakistan's digital landscape. With a robust framework in place, we aim to not only build capacity but also create a knowledge-based ecosystem that can sustain and grow itself in the long run. This center aspires to serve as a nexus for academic research, technological innovation, and industry application in the field of quantum computing. It is noted that in 2017, the Planning Ministry launched seven centres which include National Centre of Robotics and Automation (NCRA), National Center of Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) at NUST, National Center for Cyber Security (NCCS) at the Air University, National Center in Big Data and Cloud Computing (NCBC), which were established in 2017-18; National Center GIS Space Applications (NCGSA), which was established in March 2020 and National Center for Livestock Breeding, Genetics & Genomics (NCLBG&G) under the Vision-2025. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that the centres have been set up to equip the country’s youth to cope the upcoming challenges in the field of technology. He remarked that this is a century of innovations, and only those nations cab succeed which will be well equipped with such weapons of knowledge and technology. The Minister further highlighted that under the vision of 2025, several initiatives were taken particularly in the field of education to empower the youth of the country. "This is the first time in the country’s history that the budget of Higher Education Commission HEC has been increased from Rs 40billion to Rs 70b said the minister," while urging the VCs to play their constructive role to improve the teaching system of the higher education. Secretary Ministry of Planning and Development, Syed Zafar Ali Shah lauds said that Pakistan is embarking on an exciting journey in the realm of science & technology with establishment of centers of Nano Technology, Quantum Computing & New Manufacturing.