ISLAMABAD: The Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) on Thursday launched Urdu translation of the book titled, “One Hundred Reasons to Be a Scientist”. The book was published back in 2004 by the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Italy. It comprises the life time achievements of 91 contemporary scientists who played a major role in shaping the science and technology in the world during the course of last 50 years. A large number of representatives from scientific, academic and literary circles attended the event. The chief guest of the ceremony was Prof Fateh Muhammad Malik, renowned literary critic, who termed the book launching a major achievement and a highly valuable addition to Urdu literature. “Urdu translation of scientific literature, such as this book, is a commendable effort for scientific renaissance in our society,” he said. He stressed the need for integrating science with society in such a way that art, literature, religion, and meta-physics all are absorbed in scientific pursuits. COMSATS Executive Director Dr IE Qureshi, who is also the editor-in-chief of the book translation project, said that it took enormous effort to render this book into Urdu because of the brevity of articles and complexity of highly advanced scientific narrative. The aim of the book is to inspire our students to become scientists as science provides sustainable solutions to many of developmental issues in Pakistan and other countries of the South. He informed the audience that the book is available on COMSATS website and softcopy can also be accessed free of cost. Earlier, Dr Ghulam Raza Bhatti, the acting executive director of Higher Education Commission (HEC), in his welcome remarks, noted that information and its dissemination are two important ingredients of a knowledge-based society and said that COMSATS has done great work for rendering this book into Urdu, which would help in spreading scientific information across wider population of the country. National Language Promotion Department (NLPD) Director Dr Anjum Hameed, on the occasion, read out the message of Irfan Siddiqui, adviser to the prime minister on National History and Literary Heritage. While paying tribute to COMSATS Secretariat and COMSATS Institute of Information and Technology for the initiative of translating and publishing this book, Siddiqui, in his message, said that Urdu version of the book would be a useful source for science education and popularisation in Pakistan and inspire the young students to opt for science-related higher studies and careers. The book was translated under the editorship of Dr IE Qureshi, executive director COMSATS, with the support of a panel of distinguished scientists and academicians, while the NLPD facilitated the translation process. The CIIT advisers including Syeda Nasreen Sultana, Dr Ashraf Atta, Prof Dr M Aslam Khan, and Dr Mumtaz F Jafri, also shared their remarks on the occasion.