Annual Report 2010 - Comsats

LETTER FROM THE CHAIRPERSON
COORDINATING COUNCIL
Science and technology are fundamental tools to promote development
and a cornerstone for economic and social growth in developing
countries. The International Centre of Physics (CIF) in Bogotá,
Colombia, was formally founded in 1985 with Professor Abdus Salam’s
support and guiding vision. He encouraged the creation of a Centre that
could carry out training activities, develop human resources, and
promote research and experimental development in the Caribbean and
Central American Region. The ultimate goal was to foster innovation,
generate a connection between academia and industry, and provide a
linkage among universities, regional and international organizations.
Therefore, CIF and COMSATS have similar origins, conception and
essence, from Abdus Salam’s point of view. It is necessary to reinforce
and strengthen bonds between research centres, universities and
industry, for the creation of value-added products, and to promote and establish
technology-based spin-offs that will contribute towards the economic and social
development of the countries of the South. Science and technology are essential
means to achieving poverty-reduction.
In this respect, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of and express my gratitude to
Dr. Mohamed H.A. Hassan. His work during the past years had an enormous impact
both as the Chairperson of COMSATS Coordinating Council and Executive Director
of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS). Although he would
be retiring from TWAS, yet I hope that in the future he will continue his relationship
and cooperation with the Network.
It is an honour for me, to have been elected as the Chairperson of the COMSATS
Coordinating Council last May (2010). In this new position, I will encourage
COMSATS’ community to build upon the efforts made by individual members and
create alliances between the different member centres for the success of research
and development programmes. I also wish to congratulate COMSATS’ members for
their numerous research activities that bore fruition during the last one year. These
could be the basis for the creation of spin-offs and a call to industry for the
modernization of the production sectors. Finally, I hope that my work as the
Chairperson will promote the participation of Latin American organizations in
COMSATS’ programmes, and will increase the interest of its Network of Centres of
Excellence for this region, considering its importance and potentialities. This we
th
hope to discuss during the 14 Meeting of the Council in Bogotá (2011).
Annual Report
2010
Dr. Eduardo Posada Flórez
Chairperson COMSATS Coordinating Council &
Director International Centre of Physics (CIF), Colombia
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