The year 2015 marks 50 glorious
years of Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH)
preeminence and excellence in scientific and technical achievements. PINSTECH
is a research institute of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC). Pakistan
in its early days faced a challenge of lack of qualified scientific manpower
and technology infrastructure. Right from the beginning, PAEC had full
realization of these facts and had a clear vision of the requirements in terms
of trained manpower and technical infrastructure for pursuing an indigenous
nuclear power programme. PINSTECH as an institute of international stature was
conceived by late Dr. I. H. Usmani, former chairman PAEC and Dr. Abdus Salam, a
Nobel Laureate and was unveiled in 1965. Dr. Usmani very esthetically selected
the site about 20 kilometers south east of Islamabad at Nilore. Agreement for
its design that blends eastern elegance with modern technology of the West in
neo-Mughal splendor was signed with Edward Durrel Stone, famous American
architect. In 1966 the architect won American Society of Landscape Architects
(ASLA) Professional Award for PINSTECH project. PINSTECH houses the Pakistan's
first research reactor called Pakistan Research Reactor-1 (PARR-1). On 21st
December 2015 PARR-1, the first nuclear research reactor in the whole Muslim
World, is also completing 50 years of its safe operation.
Over last five decades PINSTECH
has matured as premier research institution of the country and an
internationally recognized center for research in multidisciplinary fields
which includes chemistry, physics, computational physics, material science,
metallurgy, health & environmental safety, radioisotope
production/applications, nuclear engineering, reactor fuel development,
electronics, information technology, computer science and human resource
development. The institute has some of the most advanced operational research
facilities with wide ranging sophisticated equipment and highly qualified and
skilled scientists and engineers. It has rendered technical support to
industry, research institutes, medical and agricultural centers in areas such
as radiation and isotope applications, radiation monitoring, mechanical testing
and failure analysis, water resource research, electronics and computers. It
has not only made significant contributions to the peaceful applications of
nuclear technology but has also helped upgrade the overall level of scientific
research culture in the country.
Presently, apart from continuous
R&D in major disciplines of science & technology, PINSTECH is pursuing
some very important applied projects like Production of Radioisotopes and
Radiopharmaceuticals, fuel fabrication for PARR-1, development of linear
accelerator for medical use, services related to radiological safety &
protection, material synthesis & characterization and applied work in
hydrology. industry and environment. The efforts in all these activities are
supported with up to-date facilities for quality control, analytical services
and extensive reservoir of scientific information. Different analytical
laboratories equipped with high tech instruments and its skilled manpower are
providing services to PAEC, public and private sector organizations. The production
of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals for use in the nuclear medical
centers and for other applications, has been a unique feature of the institute.
PINSTECH is catering the needs of 36 private and public medical centers all
over Pakistan for radiopharmaceuticals and radioisotopes. The institute has an
inimitable library that was declared as the National Library of Physical
Sciences by Ministry of Science and Technology in 2002.
PINSTECH for its outstanding
contribution to the advancement of science and technology in Pakistan was
declared a winner of the Islamic Development Bank award in Science and
Technology in 2002 and was declared "the best S&T institution" in
the Islamic world. Various scientific and technological developments at
PINSTECH have shaped the scientific and technological landscape of the country.
The Institute has a very strong interaction with the international and national
scientific community. The research and supporting facilities of the Institute
are utilized by students and faculty members of different national
universities. Many scientists of the Institutes have also been awarded Ph.D.
degrees by local universities on the basis of their research work. PINSTECH has
very strong collaboration with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and
has actively taken part in the Regional Cooperative Agreement (RCA) among 21
countries of the South East Asia and the Pacific region for over four decades.
Numerous scientists associated with the Institute have also won national and
international awards as recognition of their work.
On Completion of 50 Years of Safe Operation of First Nuclear Research Reactor in Pakistan, a commemorative postage stamp of Rs.8-denomination is being issued by Pakistan Post on February 10, 2016.
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