President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday underlined the need for developing the human resource through promotion of scientific education and research to confront the growing key issues being faced by Pakistan and the other developing countries. Addressing an event to celebrate the silver jubilee celebrations of the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) at the Presidency, he said the developing countries, including Pakistan, had been facing challenges like population, bio-degradation, education, dilapidation of environment, research, water and malnutrition etc. The president stressed that the developing countries required changing their direction and focusing on the development of human resources, besides equipping themselves with the latest knowledge of science and technology. He noted with regret that the situation worldwide was even worst in terms of disproportionate destruction of natural resources. “The human beings required to rethink over its footprints it had left behind so far,” he added. The president referred to the latest research reports over the issues like reduction of diversity in nature life by 30 to 40 per cent and the carbon load in the oceans and reduction of oxygen etc, which posed alarming challenges. He regretted that the over-exploitation of fish stock in Pakistan had also affected its population. The dumping, wastage of stuff in the daily life by the developed countries and their growing consumerism also posed serious challenges as the many countries in the third world lacked resources to recycle them, he added. The president observed that besides these issues, the growing chasm between the rich and poor was also widening. According to the latest research report, the president said, it painted a gloomy picture for the human race, predicting that ‘the human race has been destroying its habitat’. All these issues could be overcome with adequate development of manpower and human resource through close cooperation among the countries as these would ultimately benefit the humanity, he added. The president said due to immense opportunities in the realm of science and technology, Pakistan required to jump onto that train. “We need research and knowledge-based economy and here comes the significant role of the educational institutes like COMSATS,” he opined. The president said they required to prepare Pakistan for the future in the latest technologies like block-chain, artificial intelligence, etc. The event was largely attended by diplomats, representatives of the COMSATS member countries, academics and researchers besides, faculty members. Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, on the occasion, said that socio-economic development could not be achieved without promotion of science and technology. He appreciated the role played by COMSATS towards contributing in the capacity building of its member countries. The third world countries were facing the common challenges, he said, and highlighted the role of COMSATS in forging close cooperation among the member countries to overcome these challenges. Fawad Hussain said that they were keen to extend the scholarship programmes and to set up facilities in the African countries. They were also working on the state of art facility in Kandhar, Afghanistan. The minister said Pakistan believed in the multilateral cooperation in the fields of science and technology as the ultimate results would be in the shape of human progress and prosperity. He also stressed upon the continuation of scientific diplomacy for peace and progress in the world. Executive Director of COMSATS, Dr SM Junaid Zaidi also gave an overview of the institutes and functioning of the centers of excellence in the different member countries.