Innovation award for GCU’s Double Super Phosphate

Lahore: The Institute of Research Promotion (IRP) Friday announced the Innovation Award 2015 for the Government College University, Lahore for development of new process for production of Double Super Phosphate using indigenous phosphate rock.

The award was announced by IRP Chief Executive Abid H.K Shirwani during the visit of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Steering Committee on Education to GCU for strengthening industry-academia linkages. A tri-party memorandum of understanding was also signed during the visit among the IRP, GCU and a reputed chemical industry for promotion of research for sustainable economic development in the country.

The university’s Double Super Phosphate is a superior phosphate and preferred over single super phosphate content because of high phosphorus content. Briefing the LCCI delegation, Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Khaleeq-ur-Rahman said that the United States produced three hundred thousands of tonnes high phosphorus content per year for their indigenous need, while Pakistan was not producing a single tonne because of non-availability of a cheap source of phosphoric acid. However, he said GCU scientists had developed the Double Super Phosphate using indigenous phosphate rock instead of phosphoric acid. The innovation award will be given to the university at the Fourth Invention to Innovation Summit 2015.

Vice Chancellor Prof Rahman also said that the research should not stay buried in journals and must be utilised by the indigenous industry for the economic development of the country. He said that GCU science departments especially chemistry department were actively working with the local industry and providing solutions and processes according their needs. He, however, said that the country’s industrialists were needed to trust and support the country’s academia instead of importing readymade solutions and technologies for their industry.

IRP CEO Abid H.K Shirwani, appreciating the GCU’s initiatives in the realm of research and development, said that all universities in Pakistan were needed to shift their focus from theoretical to practical research. Talking about the commercialization of research, Abid H.K Shirwani suggested that the academia should develop research topics of postgraduate students in consultation with industry, for which, he said, LCCI was playing an active role. On his request, the Vice Chancellor nominated GCU Chemistry Department Chairperson Dr Adnan a permanent coordinator of GCU to LCCI body on education.

Addressing the meeting, Abrar Ahmad, the CEO of a reputed chemical industry, announced sponsoring 15 postgraduate research projects of the university students. The meeting also discussed in detail matters related internships of students in various local industries. The LCCI committee also announced arranging educational trip of GCU students to the relevant industries all across the country, so that they could identify industry problems and needs.