Dr. BS Chowdhry and Dr. Amjad Hussain Attended IEEE R10 Annual Meeting in Vietnam

on 26/06/2023

The 2023 IEEE Region 10 Annual Meeting was recently held successfully in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, after three years of virtual and hybrid meetings. Prior to the annual general meeting (AGM), a technical workshop sponsored by the Global Energy Interconnection Department and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) was held at the HCM City University of Technology on March 3. Over 100 leaders and delegates from IEEE Sections and Council in the region, as well as R10 ExCom members, attended the AGM. The IEEE dignitaries present were IEEE President, Professor Saifur Rahman, IEEE President Elect, Thomas Coughlin, IEEE-VP MGA, Jill Gostin, and IEEE Executive Director, Sophia Muirhead, who attended online, and Region 2 Director, Andrew Lowery. The meeting also received support and valuable advice from members of the R10 Nomination and Advisory Committee, including past IEEE President, Prof Toshio Fukuda, and past R10 Directors – Prof Akinori Nishihara, Prof Kukjin Chun, and Prof Janina Mazierska. Two special speakers from Region 8, Peter Nagy and Prof Mousmi Chaurasia, MGA Training Committee, were also invited.
During the meeting, there were speeches by IEEE senior leaders and speakers, reports and plans from various Chairs of R10 Committees, training and poster sessions, and presentations from flagship event organizers – TenSymp, R10 HTC, and TenCon in 2022, 2023, and 2024. The two-day event also included an award banquet with a cultural show, a half day of team bonding activities, and a dinner at an offsite restaurant. The feedback from delegates was positive, with lively discussions and active networking during the two days over breakfast, tea breaks, lunch, dinner, and even on the bus.
The success of the event was due to the contributions of all volunteers who are committed to the mission and vision of IEEE, and the assistance from the professional and efficient staff at the IEEE Asia-Pacific Office and IEEE Beijing office. The outcomes and success of the event were a result of the cooperation and dedication of everyone involved. It is also essential to recognize that human interactions cannot be replaced by online contacts. Finally, the organizers are confident that they will make Region 10, hundred percent, and express their gratitude to everyone who made the event possible.

Pakistan Cables signs MoU with Steam Pakistan

on 26/06/2023

Pakistan Cables signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Pak Alliance for Math & Science Welfare Trust (PAMS) to partner with employee volunteering through STEAM Pakistan. STEAM Pakistan is a collaboration between the Malala Fund and the Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training.
Pakistan Cables will partner with STEAM Pakistan by putting forward volunteers that will promote subjects of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) among students of secondary classes of Government schools through experiential learning.
Pakistan Cables Ltd. is an active advocate of the UN’s sustainable development goals – SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 5 (Female Empowerment). Previously rolled out ASCEND, its flagship initiative, to promote science and engineering-related fields by offering scholarships and internships among female students among leading public sector engineering universities of Pakistan. The collaboration for STEAM Pakistan is the second major initiative by the Company illustrating its commitment to youth empowerment.
Pakistan Cables Ltd. Founded in 1953, Pakistan Cables is the premiere and most reputable cable manufacturer in Pakistan. Being the only wire and cable manufacturer listed on the PSX since 1955, it is also a member company of the Amir S. Chinoy group. The company has the largest geographical footprint in Pakistan with a presence in over 180 cities. It is ISO9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and OHSAS 18001:2007 certified, and various cables type tested by KEMA, Netherlands.
STEAM Pakistan is a collaboration between the Malala Fund and the Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training. The overall objective of STEAM Pakistan is to improve the learning outcomes of students enrolled in government schools across the country. The project also aims to develop cognitive and critical thinking abilities among students through targeted sessions and activities, with a particular focus on girls’ education. The Pak Alliance for Maths and Science (PAMS) is the lead implementing partner for STEAM Pakistan, with its head office in Islamabad, STEAM Policy Units in Karachi and Lahore, and a STEAM Policy Unit in Gilgit.
To date, STEAM Pakistan has enabled interactive Safeer sessions directly impacting over 7,500 school children in more than 170 government schools in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, and Gilgit. Impact activities include inspirational talks, hands-on learning, and career counseling by professionals on a variety of topics such as engineering, space exploration, marketing, mountaineering, climate change, and public policy to trigger their imagination.

Reverse engineering, local experts must for prosperity: Engr. Najeeb Haroon
IEEEP confers Life Time Achievement Award on Engr. Irfan Ahmed

on 26/06/2023

Chairman Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) Engr. Najeeb Haroon has said that to improve the country’s economy, work on reverse engineering needs to be done, adding that “we have let our engineers down”. While energy remains a priority, IT and agriculture should be given due importance to improve the economy of Pakistan.
He was addressing as the Chief Guest at the IEEEP Multitopic Symposium 2023 held in Karachi with the presence of a large number of engineers and professionals from all over the country.
Earlier Engr. Khalid Pervez, leading the organization’s Karachi chapter highlighted the need of promoting a ‘Made in Pakistan’ approach.
Engr. Najeeb Haroon said that in small items we import even staplers. In large-scale industries, local value addition needs to be drastically improved.
The western world needs engineers, and perhaps we can earn foreign exchange by body leasing while we create jobs for our engineers in the Country.
We will have to think seriously in this direction,” he said adding that PEC engineers were supposed to work as “a brain” of the country. Unfortunately, the brain is not being used therefore nothing is coordinated.
Instead of its engineering experts, other unconcerned people are in the decision-making positions in every department, due to which no department is working properly.
The PEC Chairman asserted that for some reason the bureaucracy despises the engineering community and has no respect for the best-educated people in the country. This is the reason why good-performing college students are losing interest and admissions to engineering universities are falling. This trend needs to be changed.
He agreed with Engr. Khalid Pervez that “Make in Pakistan” should be part of our policies. Locally manufactured goods should be preferred. For the development of Pakistan, it is necessary to use the services of local experts.
A senior member of IEEEP, Engr. Irfan Ahmad who was the Chief Guest of the closing session being the recipient of this year’s IEEEP Life Time Achievement Award said that while the Country needs its brain, it is being drained out to the West. Only last year, hundreds of Pakistani engineers left for greener pastures as we are only producing job seekers in our universities. We do not even see what is inside the box itself. The doors of the West are now closing down for the outsiders. Only last month Amazon fired 18,000 of its workers and Google fired 12,000 people, including 450 Indian engineers. India was however quick to find jobs for its engineers in other countries. Our government on the other hand has not yet been able to provide an even service structure for engineers.
In the Symposium,18 technical papers on power, energy, telecom, and electronics were presented in various sessions, which also included a Panel Discussion on local manufacturing issues.

Leading exploration, production companies move to green energy

on 26/06/2023

Six Pakistani oil, and gas companies sign MoU for joint ventures; 15% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions come from oil and gas exploration
Leading oil and gas exploration companies in Pakistan have joined hands to
explore and pursue green hydrogen prospects, says the Petroleum Division of Pakistan’s Ministry of Energy.
These exploration and production companies include Oil & Gas Development Company Limited, Pak-Arab Refinery Limited, Pakistan Petroleum Limited, Mari Petroleum Company Limited, and Government Holdings (Private) Limited.
It merits mentioning that oil and gas are often painted as the dirtiest sector within the energy industry, but major companies around the world have begun to invest in renewable technologies in a bid to clean up the economy.
Of the six “super-majors” – BP, Shell, Chevron, Total, Eni, and Exxon – many of them have pumped billions into clean energy projects, although question marks remain over whether they are doing enough.
Despite the growth in renewables, “big oil” only spent 1% of its combined budget on green energy schemes in 2018.
The Petroleum Division says these companies in Pakistan have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for joint ventures in the future.
The MoU will be initially effective for two years from the date of signing and it will engage consultants and advisors to explore the opportunities.
Under the MoU, the companies will also establish a joint fund to raise equity for joint ventures and green energy initiatives, said the statement.
Additional Secretary of the Petroleum Division Muhammad Mahmood, who witnessed the event, said that the collaboration could drive the energy transition towards a more sustainable future, leveraging each company’s expertise and resources.
“This collaboration is a significant step towards building a more sustainable future for Pakistan and beyond,” added the official.
On the occasion, Managing Director of the Oil & Gas Development Company Limited Ahmed Hayat Lak said, “we are confident that by leveraging our collective expertise and resources, we can accelerate the energy transition and create a greener, cleaner, and more prosperous future.”
The IEA’s Oil and Gas Industry in Energy Transitions report says while some oil and gas companies have taken steps to support efforts to combat climate change, the industry as a whole could play a much more significant role through its engineering capabilities, financial resources, and project-management expertise.
“No energy company will be unaffected by clean energy transitions,” said Dr. Fatih Birol. “Every part of the industry needs to consider how to respond. Doing nothing is simply not an option.”
The landscape of the oil and gas industry is diverse, meaning there is no single strategic response but a variety of approaches depending on each company’s circumstances.
“The first immediate task for all parts of the industry is reducing the environmental footprint of their own operations,” Dr. Birol said. “As of today, around 15% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions come from the process of getting oil and gas out of the ground and to consumers. A large part of these emissions can be brought down relatively quickly and easily.”
Reducing methane leaks into the atmosphere is the single most important and cost-effective way for the industry to bring down these emissions. But there are ample other opportunities to lower the emissions intensity of delivered oil and gas by eliminating routine flaring and integrating renewables and low-carbon electricity into new upstream and LNG developments.
“Also, with their extensive know-how and deep pockets, oil and gas companies can play a crucial role in accelerating deployment of key renewable options such as offshore wind, while also enabling some key capital-intensive clean energy technologies – such as carbon capture, utilisation, storage, and hydrogen – to reach maturity,” Dr. Birol added. “Without the industry’s input, these technologies may simply not achieve the scale needed for them to move the dial on emissions.”
Some oil and gas companies are diversifying their energy operations to include renewables and other low-carbon technologies. However, average investment by oil and gas companies in non-core areas has so far been limited to around 1% of total capital spending, with the largest outlays going to solar PV and wind. Some oil and gas companies have also diversified by acquiring existing non-core businesses – for example in electricity distribution, electric-vehicle charging, and batteries – while stepping up research and development activity. But overall, there are few signs of the large-scale change in capital allocation needed to put the world on a more sustainable path.
An essential task is to step up investment in fuels – such as hydrogen, biomethane, and advanced biofuels – that can deliver the energy system benefits of oil and gas without net carbon emissions. Within 10 years, these low-carbon fuels would need to account for around 15% of overall investment in fuel supply if the world is to get on course to tackle climate change. In the absence of low-carbon fuels, transitions become much harder and more expensive.

Prof BS Chowdhry’s talk at BathSpa Uni RAK Campus UAE Vertically Integrated Collaborative Projects and Experiential Learning

on 26/06/2023

The 3rd International Conference on Business, Management, Emerging Technologies, and Social Sciences 2023 was held at Bath Spa University, Academic Center Ras Al-Khaimah-UAE. Sitara-e-Imtiaz Recipient Professor Dr Bhawani Shankar Chowdhry participated as a Guest of Honor and invited Keynote speaker. Prof, Dr. M N Brohi, Campus Director, Bath Spa University, Academic Centre Rak Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates welcomed all guests and delegates.
Delegates from different countries and universities convened to showcase their work, present their latest findings, exchange ideas, and address pressing issues in their respective fields. The conference also served as a valuable platform for gaining future collaborations in the international research arena. The excellent participation and diverse range of topics covered made it a highly beneficial event for students, faculty, and researchers alike. The efforts of BSU RAK in bringing together experts from various fields to share their insights and expertise are truly commendable. The conference focused on the quality of the presentations and the level of engagement among the attendees. Observing this, it was clear that the conference provided a platform for meaningful discussions and networking opportunities.
Prof. D M Akbar Hussain, (Aalborg University, Denmark), Prof Jason Levy from University of Hawaiʻi – West oʻahu, USA, Prof Ciro Rodriguez, National University of Mayor de San Marcos and National University Federico Villarreal, Peru, Prof. Dr. Bhawani Shankar Chowdhry, Professor Emeritus Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro Pakistan, Prof Geetha Ganesan, Professor and Dean, Jain University, India, Prof Arthur James Swart, Central University of Technology, South Africa, Dr. Kristoffer Franz Mari R. Millado, Chairman and President of the Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges were among the Keynote speakers who added excellence to the conference.
Prof Chowdhry shared his views on vertically integrated collaborative projects and experiential learning. The talk was well received and the university CEO said the university is committed to achieving excellence in creativity, culture, enterprise, and innovation through research and development. BSU Connect uncovers insights and stories of diverse people at Bath Spa University Academic Center RAK. It is a celebration of Life, Stories that Resonate, and Thought-provoking Fresh Perspectives.