Making Pakistan proud: Student duo shines at CERN

The students pose with Hafeez Hoorani, the DG of National Centre for Physics. Hoorani is also Cern’s focal person for Pakistan. PHOTO: EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD: With Pakistan becoming the first associate member of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research among Asian countries this year, young scientists from the country have already started to make their mark.

A graduate of the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) stood first at the summer internship programme at the research facility popularly known as Cern, among 45 young graduates from across the globe.

Similarly, a graduate of the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) has made his mark with his exceptional theoretical and experimental skills at Cern.

NUST

Nust graduate Azqa Nadeem was selected by a team for the CERN openlab summer student programme from a pool of about 1,600 applicants. In total, 40 students were selected.

Azqa was supposed to evaluate physical tokens for so-called multifactor authentication that is the process of logging into a computer system by using more than a password. “Azqa has done a great job and succeeded in selecting one out of two methods and providing good arguments [as to] why the second method is insecure and should be rejected,” said Dr Stefan Lüders, Cern computer security officer in an email to Hafeez Hoorani, director general of the National Centre for Physics.

Hoorani is Cern’s focal person for Pakistan.

Azqa got a proof-of-concept pilot system up and running and CERN is aiming at deploying the final version during the next months. Her presentation was voted as the best presentation out of all summer student projects. “I am more than proud of this,” Luders stated in his email.

Azqa told The Express Tribune that it was indeed a matter of pride for her to work with some of the world’s smartest people at Cern on problems that had yet to surface.

QAU

QAU graduate Muhammad Ansar Iqbal has an MSc in physics, and completed his Mphil under the supervision of Hoorani in experimental high energy physics.

He worked on compact muon solenoid (CMS) which is a general-purpose detector at the Large Hadron Collider.

Iqbal said he was surprised to hear that one of the detectors of the collider was assembled in Pakistan.

“I was with the team to check the efficiency studies of those detectors through cosmic muon,” he said.

This year, there were eight summer students in the resistive plate chambers (RPC) at the facility.

An email from his supervisor, Anton Dimitrov, to Hoorani stated that “Iqbal was one of the really exceptional students who showed technical, theoretical and experimental skills which were well above the average level.”

He also wrote that he would be glad if they could continue working with him remotely.

“He was very fast and efficient in problem solving. He performed brilliantly his task to compare RE4 Construction with Operation data,” Dimitrov wrote in the email.

Iqbal said there needs to be a multidisciplinary approach to learning especially when it came to sister subjects such as physics, computer science and engineering.

“This will help our prospects in the field of research,” he added.

Hoorani said that it was indeed a matter of pride for the whole country.

Research ties

Cooperation between Pakistan and Cern dates back to signing of an agreement in 1994. Later, Pakistan wished to be its associate member back in 2013, after which CERN sent its task force to gauge the country’s science and technology base and industrial capabilities in early 2014, and in December it was decided to approve the membership. A formal announcement was made in July this year.

Published in The Express Tribune.

13 start-up incubators, accelerators, and co-working spaces in Pakistan

Attitudes towards entrepreneurship have changed drastically in Pakistan in the past few years, partly fueled by the success of start-ups in the region as well as broadening access to the internet.

Just a couple of years ago, budding entrepreneurs in Pakistan would have found it difficult to gain access to mentors, business training, and investors due to the lack of interest in encouraging disruptive start-ups. Now, however, the landscape has changed and start-up founders have a choice when determining which incubator to reach out to.

In no particular order, here are some incubators and accelerators making an impact in Pakistan.

1) Plan9

Based in Lahore, Plan9 initially started in mid-2012 as part of an initiative of the local provincial government. Since then it has incubated over 60 start-ups. Plan9 requires all companies to undergo a rigorous three-month program in which it provides them with free office space, consultancy, and mentoring. It does not take any equity.

2) The Nest i/o

Launched early 2015, The Nest i/o is a technology incubator associated with the Pakistan Software Houses Association (PASHA). It has received funding from Google, Samsung, and the US State Department.

Located in the coastal city of Karachi, the incubator is currently mentoring its second batch of start-ups. It also provides free office space and mentorship, while not taking any equity.

3) LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship

The LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship is a tech incubator associated with the Lahore University of Management Sciences – arguably Pakistan’s most successful private sector university. Also located in Lahore, the incubator has a four-month programme where it provides free office space and counselling.

It does take a small equity percentage for each start-up accepted into the program, ostensibly to compensate for the monthly stipend it disburses to each venture.

4) i2i

Located in the scenic capital city of Islamabad, i2i is an accelerator for early and mid-stage companies looking to make a social impact. The program is spread over four months but does not require the start-ups to be present in-house, with the option of working remotely.

It features a total of six in-person sessions spread across various cities in Pakistan. The accelerator takes equity from each start-up accepted into the program, in the range of 1.5 to 3 per cent.

5). PlanX

PlanX is an accelerator based in Lahore that was designed to complement its sister incubator, Plan9. The program is slightly longer, at six months, but also provides free office space and consulting without taking equity.

6) Microsoft Innovation Centre

The Microsoft Innovation Centre has programs in both Lahore and Karachi and is primarily concerned with harnessing technical skills. It offers accepted start-ups a range of free Microsoft enterprise software products, whilst also connecting them with mentors and coaches.

7) Technology Incubation Centre

The Technology Incubation Centre is an initiative of the National University of Science and Technology, located in Islamabad. By virtue of its association with the university, most of the start-ups housed in the incubator have a focus on hardware, engineering, and big data.

It also offers companies free office space and mentorship, taking a small equity percentage in exchange.

8) DotZero

DotZero is more of a co-working space rather than a full-fledged tech incubator. It does not offer a structured program but maintains a highly-curated work environment designed to encourage synergy and cooperation between the start-ups housed there.

Its founding members recently launched an angel investment fund to encourage the growth of the investment landscape in Pakistan.

9) Basecamp

Basecamp operates in a similar vein to DotZero, running an invite-only co-working facility located in the frontier city of Peshawar. There are a number of events, including Start-up Weekend Peshawar and TEDx Peshawar, and it hopes to foster entrepreneurship through community-led efforts.

10) Founder Institute

Founder Institute, the Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur training and start-up launch program, runs a local chapter in Karachi and Islamabad.

The program is structured over three and a half months, with companies meeting once a week. Each start-up must contribute 3.5 per cent equity to an “options pool” and pay a one-time fee of US$250 to be accepted.

11) Nspire

Nspire is a newcomer. It’s a private tech incubator started by Netsol, a successful Pakistani IT services company. Applications for its first batch of start-ups are currently open.

12) Tech Incubator

Tech Incubator, based in Lahore, claims to be the first privately-managed incubator in Pakistan. It functions on a rolling basis, accepting start-ups all year round.

The incubator takes a hefty amount of equity, though. Start-ups have to part with 10 per cent just to use its co-working facilities, and a lot more if they wish to obtain mentoring, consulting, and potential investment.

13) WeCreate Pakistan

WeCreate Pakistan is an entrepreneurial community centre exclusively for women looking to start or expand an existing business. The program is spread over 15 weeks and is supported by the US Department of State.

This article originally published on Tech In Asia here.