Astronomy night: Attendees get inspiration, information

Students, academics and families attended the Astronomy Night at NUST on Monday night to gaze at the sky. However, Brig. Mubashirul Haq Abbasi’s preceding lecture on astronomy proved more educational and interesting for the attendees as the two telescopes — Meade ETX-125 and Orion EON — were a bit of let down for some as the magnification did not meet expectations.

Electrical engineer Adil and his family said that they had recently seen a telescope in Lahore that showed eruptions on the sun’s surface in much higher detail, and were underwhelmed by what was visible through the telescopes at NUST. However, Adil commended the university’s effort, “It is a good excuse to do something educational and fun with the family.” (Source)

Follow us on Facebook | Twitter or Submit something or Just Ask!

Lubna Agha loses her final battle

AMONG the top ranking Pakistani-American artists, Lubna Agha, who sadly passed away on Sunday in Boston, did not opt to convey her themes to Western art enthusiasts through traditional genres like miniatures, but chose to communicate through an idiom which was unique and, at the same time, not totally alien to them. She combined the modern-abstract style of the West with traditional Islamic art motifs. (source)

Follow us on Facebook | Twitter or Submit something or Just Ask!

KARACHI: Parveen Kassim, the principal of the Karachi High School, has won the global educators award at the 7th annual United Nations conference on Teaching Peace and Human Rights that concluded on Friday.

In particular, Kassim’s work as the chairperson of the International Schools Educational Olympiad (ISEO) was commended.

The two-day conference gathered teachers, administrators, future leaders and non-governmental organisations from across the world to acknowledge leadership in education. It served to highlight the role of educationists from Karachi, Chennai, Burnaby, Mexico City, Manila, and the US, whilst highlighting inspiring initiatives world-wide towards promoting and teaching peace within classrooms.

Kassim was nominated for her contribution over the last two decades towards bridging distances, and gathering students from Pakistan and across the world, including youth from India, the UK and Australia on a single platform to boost shared learning, competition and healthy interaction through the yearly ISEO. The award acknowledges her commitment to promote innovation in education in Pakistan by extending learning across borders and beyond the realms of the classroom.

Kassim was also acknowledged for Karachi High School’s active partnership with the British Council’s Connecting Classroom initiative aimed at forging lasting partnerships among schools in the UK with others around the world.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2nd, 2012.

Follow us on Facebook | Twitter or Submit something or Just Ask!

She was selected for the UNESCO-L’Oreal Fellowship This is highly prestigious award which is designed to identify and reward fifteen committed and talented young scientists, from all over the world and allowed her to work in University of Cambridge, UK. She has been selected for this award from around the world.

She attended the 60^thNoble Laureates Meeting Lindau, Germany, June 2010.

Each of the selected candidates belongs to the budding scientific elite of their respective countries, and has passed a multi-stage international selection procedure.

The Council workgroup then makes its final selection from this pool of Best Talents, examining 1,500 profiles for every Meeting before finally choosing the top applicants to receive an invitation to Lindau. The Lindau Meetings contribute to the establishment of international networks of scientific excellence.

She was selected for the Robert Bosch Stiftung Fellow, Germany, 16 July,

2010. Knowledge dissemination, targeted youth training and support for international

networking in science gathering for excellent young scientists from around the world.

IGNITE entrepreneurship Programme, Judge Buisness School, University of Cambridge, UK, June 2011. She has selected for the EPSRC, UK from a pool of 15 thousands candidates IGNITE fellowship.

Einstein Young Scholar Award, Germany, 8 Nov, 2010. She was chosen by the

Einstein Foundation Berlin as one of the young scientists from the UK to participate

as an ‘Einstein Young Scholar’ in the 2010 Falling Walls Science Conference on Future Breakthroughs in Science and Society.

Some of her links are as follows,

http://www.hec.gov.pk/InsideHEC/Divisions/HRD/Scholarships/Stories/Pages/IshratBano.aspx

http://www.unesco.org.uk/four_of_the_2009_unesco-l’oreal_international_fellowships_winners_to_study_at_uk_institutions

http://www.diversitycareers.com/articles/pro/09-junjul/newsviews.htm#and

http://www.loreal.com/_en/_ww/index.aspx?direct1=00008&direct2=00008/00003&direct3=00008/00003/00002&direct4=00008/00003/00002/00011&direct5=00008/00003/00002/00011/00003/00003

http://portal.unesco.org/science/en/ev.php-URL_ID=7455&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

http://www.msm.cam.ac.uk/djf/people/ishrat%20bano.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ0-ckvA_5M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQg8pPDm29s

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cfel/5956864107/in/set-72157627238538514

—-

Thank you for the submission Xinnia Ali.

Follow us on Facebook | Twitter or Submit something or Just Ask!

Pakistani activist gets US’ International Women of Courage Award

WASHINGTON: A Pakistani woman activist from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has been conferred with the International Women of Courage award by the US.

Shad Begum was presented the award by US First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a ceremony on Thursday, which was also attended by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman.

Shad hails from Lower Dir district of Malakand division, which was briefly under militant rule before the Pakistan Army launched an operation in May 2009. She has been recognised for her contribution to the improvement in the lives of women in conservative communities.

Shad is among 10 women who were given the award from as many countries, which are Afghanistan, Pakistan, Burma, Sudan, Cambodia, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Turkey and Brazil.

Born in 1974, Shad founded the Anjuman Behbud-e-Khawateen Talash (ABKT) in Lower Dir in 1994 to work on women rights and development. The organisation has now been renamed as the Association for Behaviour and Knowledge Transformation (ABKT).

Last year, a Pakistani woman named Ghulam Sughra, was given the award. (via pakistank2)

Follow us on Facebook | Twitter or Submit something or Just Ask!

Still not inspired Pakistan? A mechanic decides to make a light aircraft and his brother learns how to fly it. (via umalik)

Follow us on Facebook | Twitter or Submit something or Just Ask!

Meet Pakistan’s 1st female Master Diver

Her world is mysterious, her friends are rainbow-bright and her passion runs deep; meet Rosheen Khan, Pakistan’s first female diving instructor. Having achieved the prestigious status of Master Scuba Diving Trainer, Rosheen now trains diving enthusiasts in Pakistan. We invite you to explore the seas with her as she takes us through the fascinating world of the underwater. (via umalik)

Follow us on Facebook | Twitter or Submit something or Just Ask!

Babar Iqbal Sets Another World Record

Babar Iqbal, a 14 year old whiz kid from Dera Ismail Khan, has set a world record by publishing his first research paper on digital forensic science. The field of Digital Forensic Science covers the recovery and investigation of data in digital devices and is often used to aid computer crime investigations.

Babar’s research pertains to Apple iDevices (iPad, iPhone, iPod) and has been accepted by the 8th IEEE International Conference on Innovations in Information Technology. He has been invited to present his research at the conference as well.

What sets his method apart is that it doesn’t require jailbreaking and can image an iDevice in less than 30 minutes. (complete news)

Follow us on Facebook | Twitter or Submit something or Just Ask!

Arfa Karim, youngest MCP (Microsoft Certified Peofessional) passed away. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon. :( May Allah make it easier for her family and grant her the highest level of Jannah. (via whispermelies)

Follow us on Facebook | Twitter or Submit something or Just Ask!

Child prodigy: Lights dim on a beautiful mind

FAISALABAD: In 2004, Aarifa Karim Randhawa was the youngest ever Microsoft certified professional in the world. Born in 1995, she received the prestigious title at the age of nine.

On December 22, Aarifa was admitted to Lahore’s CMH hospital after suffering cardiac arrest. On Thursday, doctors said there is no hope for her survival, and that her life support could be switched off ‘at any time’.

Aarifa’s father, Lt Col (Retd) Amjad Karim Randhawa told The Express Tribune that she had suffered an epileptic attack, which caused severe brain and heart damage. Randhawa said “only a miracle will allow my brilliant, genius daughter to live now”. (complete news, previous post on her)

Follow us on Facebook | Twitter or Submit something or Just Ask!