DUHS-DICE Health Innovation Exhibition begins at Expo Centre

KARACHI: The two-day event of the 5th All Pakistan DUHS-DICE Health Innovation exhibition was inaugurated at the Expo Center Karachi.

The Dow University of Health Sciences, a leading health sciences university, organized the event. In this exhibition, Pakistani and foreign delegates stated that Pakistan must adopt self-reliance as a national agenda by making everything that it needs and creating a National Innovation System; otherwise, we will be left behind in the fast-paced world. We can quickly reach the destination of self-reliance by mentoring and encouraging students in new inventions, they said.

For the fifth time in a row, the DOW-DICE Health Exhibition is an important milestone in the path of development, experts said at the opening ceremony of the 2-day exhibition at the Expo Center in Karachi. The exhibition was inaugurated by Ali Akhai, head of the internationally renowned pharmaceutical company, Akhai Pharmaceuticals.

Dow University's acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof Zarnaz Wahid, Regional Head of Higher Education Commission Sindh, Hakim Ali Talpur, Founder of the DICE Foundation and Chairman, Dr Khurshid Qureshi, DICE Health America Chairman, Sohail Hassan, Pro-Vice-Chancellors, Khawar Saeed Jamali and Prof Kartar Dawani, and Registrar, Dow University, Prof Amanullah Abbasi, were present during the inaugural ceremony.

Ali Akhai stated that research and innovation have always been important, but it has grown significantly in the past. New inventions are stabilizing the economy of countries, so the need of the hour is to encourage our youth so that they can bring their minds to the forefront of innovation. For this, our industries will have to expand their relationship with educational institutions. The DICE Exhibition is a great platform to bring the academia and industry closer; it needs to be further strengthened.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Dr Khurshid Qureshi said that the nation as a whole arranged for the last day to deal with $6 billion in debt from the IMF. We were ready to mortgage ourselves, while most of the world's companies make $6 billion easily in a quarter. Apple and Google were launched from a garage, and today they are among the world's largest companies. Their profit only exceeds the entire budget of our country, that is why we say we also have to create the invention system of Europe and America. Our students are talented; they need to be organized and must be given specific targets.

"We are left behind in the economic arena due to some of our shortcomings, as countries need naval, land, and air forces, as well as strong economic forces.” This army exists in our educational institutions; it just needs to be organized. If we were not financially stable, then in today's world, no army would be able to save us from disaster.”

He said that Bangladesh's garment exports only constitute to $35 billion, while our total exports sum to $22 billion. He said that the fifth successful exhibition of DICE is proof that our students can excel forward in research and development, this year 400 projects are presented, and 500 are expected to be presented next year.

Speaking on occasion, HEC Regional Director, Hakim Ali Talpur, said that the difference between the innovators and the common students is that of the leader and the follower.

In her address, Prof Zarnaz Wahid said that the Dow University is the best health university in the public sector, and for five years we have been trying to improve the exhibition gradually. Next year's exhibition will be even better, she said. She expressed her gratitude for the cooperation of industries in making this exhibition successful.

Dr Sohail Hassan said that our success is that the exhibition also has 14 projects from Malaysia. For the upcoming exhibition, students will come up with final projects for better industrialization.

Dr Kashif Shafiq, the head of the organizing committee of the exhibition, said that the exhibition was organized in his best capacity; he thanked the team and all the participants for their efforts.