The 4th round of Science and Technology Exchange Program (STEP 2018) among Muslim nations, organized by the Mustafa Science and Technology Foundation (MSTF) in Qom and Sultan Qaboos University is being held in Muscat.
The four-day event started on Dec. 2 and aims to help foster scientific ties and technological collaboration between Muslim nations, a MSTF press office reported.
STEP was launched in 2015 by the MSTF to forge effective ties between Muslim scientists and enhance academic and technological collaboration in the Muslim world. Previous rounds of STEP were held in Malaysia and Iran.
The gathering is held on an annual basis, but upon the request of the University of Karachi, an extraordinary round is scheduled for February in the Pakistani city.
Muslim scientists from 20 countries including Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia, the US, and the UK area attending the Muscat event.
STEP 2018 includes panels, forums and an exhibition where 25 knowledge-based companies from 12 countries are showing their achievements and services.
In the panels, scientists spoke on the application of cutting-edge technology for addressing pressing human issues, namely the worsening water crisis and climate change that has emerged as a universal problem hurting poor and rich nations alike.
Solutions offered by nanotechnology, biotechnology and ICT advances were also discussed by the experts.
Mustafa Prize laureates, American nanotechnology scientist Jackie Ying, Turkish-French computer scientist Erol Gelenbe and Iranian mathematician Mohammad Amin Shokrollahi are among the participants.
Benefits of Sharing
The event director and former head of Iran Food and Drug Administration, Rassoul Dinarvand, referred to the poor state of scientific collaboration among Muslim nations said meetings like STEP can and should underpin academic and technological ties in and among the Muslim world.
“If nations share their financial and human resources, great scientific advances can be made… we all will benefit from harmony and unity of purpose,” he told the conferees.
Chairman of the MSTF board of directors, Saeed Sarkar addressed the gathering and said, “Muslim nations are divided. Scientific language surpasses national frontiers boundaries. Science can and should unite us. With initiatives like the STEP, I see a better future for all of us.”
He added that “gatherings like the STEP are platforms that bring us together, help us forge new ties to be able tot jointly work for the betterment of all Muslims.”
The importance of scientific meetings and pooling of minds was also underlined by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Sultan Qaboos University Rahma al-Mahrooqi.
Main Topics
Some of the major topics reviewed at the sessions were the application of nanotechnology in healthcare and water management.
American scientist Jackie Ying discussed the application of nano-devices and nano-medicine in early diagnosis of diseases and addressing health issues. She pointed to the use of nano-porous tissues for purifying water, and nano-catalysts for absorbing greenhouse gases.
She recalled that some of the key challenges nations are grappling with is the worsening water crisis and lack of workable water management policies. She said, “Nanotechnology can make the process more cost-effective,” and also increase people’s access to clean water.
Professor of pharmacology at Qatar University Saghir Akhtar was one of the speakers. He talked about gene silencing and the method’s possible application for curing cancer. Gene silencing is the regulation of gene expression in a cell to prevent the expression of a certain gene. The method is used to produce therapeutics to combat cancer and other diseases.
Adel Sharif from the University of Surrey discussed the global water crisis with focus on innovative solutions for addressing water scarcity. He and his team at the UK-based university are working on a project that focuses on finding a cost-effective way for purifying sea water, he said.
Future Opportunities
Representatives from Mustafa foundation promoted the Kans Scientific Competition and a research opportunity recently introduced by the foundation.
Kans has been established with the aim of promoting academic activities that can help address problems of the Muslim world.
Researchers can enroll by submitting their scientific or technological solutions addressing specific problems through MSTF’s website, mstfdn.org.
Furthermore, the MSTF in collaboration with Singapore’s NanoBio Lab has established a 2-month research program for university students from Islamic countries.
During the program which is carried out under the supervision of Prof. Jackie Ying, students will have a chance to augment their skills and work with globally acclaimed scientists in Singapore.
Students should upload their resume on the MSTF website to enroll in the program. The resumes will be evaluated by academicians and five will be elected.
