GCU establishes Nano-chemistry laboratory

Lahore: The Government College University, Lahore, following its patent on Nano-fertilizer, has established a new latest Nano-chemistry laboratory on the campus to advance research in the fields of Solar Cells, Nano-catalysis, Nano-filtration, Nano-forensics, Nano-drugs, Nano-fertilizers and Waste water treatment. Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Khaleeq-ur-Rahman has given the charge of Director, Nano-chemistry Laboratory to eminent chemist Prof Dr Muhammad Akhyar Farrukh.

Vice Chancellor Prof Rahman proudly said that the university had won Rs 10 million high tech equipment for the new laboratory under the three highly crucial international projects on nano-technology by the Higher Education Commission, Pakistan Science Foundation and TWAS; the world academy of sciences. While, the university has also spent a large amount funds on equipment and establishment of the laboratory, the VC added.

Prof Rahman announced that the high tech science laboratories were national assets and were opened to all Pakistani students and local industries for research purposes. He said that science equipment were antiques for display, rather they were machines that must be used day and night for the advancement of science and technology in the country.

The Vice Chancellor claimed that all the science equipment in the university was operational and being used day and night by the researchers. He said that the university’s Engineering Cell ensured uninterrupted power supply to all laboratories 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He also revealed that the university had made more than five inventions in the fields of nano-technology in the last three years, out of which two, Nano-fertilizer and zinc-oxide nano-flakes, had been patented by the United States Patent and Trademark office.

He said that the university had also published 34 papers in reputed journals on Nano-technology besides four books in the last three years, adding that GCU faculty would continue their hazard work for new inventions in the field of science.

To a question, the Vice Chancellor said that they had a plan to initiate new postgraduate programs in nano-chemistry for which this new laboratory was also necessary.

Talking to media, Prof Dr Muhammad Akhyar Farrukh said that the Vice Chancellor, who was an international expert of nano-technology and had scores of research papers in international journals on nano-technology to his credit, had shown great trust in him. He said that Prof Rahman had developed a culture of research in GCU and any demand for research equipment had never been refused by him.