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ISLAMABAD, Jan 27 (APP):The Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) on Tuesday organized an important seminar titled “Transparency and Accountability in Science and Technology” at its auditorium, underscoring the vital role of openness and ethical governance in strengthening scientific institutions and enhancing public trust in science-based policymaking.
The seminar brought together policymakers, scientists, researchers, and representatives of leading scientific organizations to deliberate on best practices for promoting transparency, merit-based systems, and institutional accountability across the science and technology sector.
Welcoming the participants, Chairman PSF, Dr. Mohammad Akmal said that transparency is the cornerstone of scientific credibility and stressed that clear research priorities, open funding mechanisms, well-defined evaluation procedures, and accessible outcomes are essential to build confidence in scientific institutions.
Technical presentations were delivered by the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), the Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC), and the Pakistan Science Foundation, focusing on regulatory frameworks, institutional mechanisms, and operational practices that ensure transparency and accountability.
A dedicated interactive session allowed participants to exchange views and propose practical measures for strengthening governance in scientific organizations.
Addressing the seminar, Federal Secretary for Science and Technology Shahid Iqbal Baloch highlighted the government’s commitment to integrity, openness, and responsible management in science and research institutions.
He noted that the Ministry of Science and Technology serves as an umbrella organization for 18 attached departments and said the government’s priority is the timely appointment of regular heads of institutions.
“Unfortunately, several organizations have continued to operate without permanent leadership for long periods. Institutions cannot be run effectively on current or additional charge arrangements,” he said, adding that the rector of COMSATS University has recently been appointed, while heads of two more institutions will be notified soon.
The federal secretary informed the participants that currently only few projects are underway at PSF and regretted that no new projects have been approved so far.
He said Pakistan has a number of international agreements in the science sector and assured that the ministry would approach the government for fresh budgetary allocations to launch new initiatives.
Responding to questions, he assured that all possible efforts would be made to facilitate PSF staff and that steps would be taken to arrange a proper building for PSF in Peshawar to ensure smooth functioning.
Dr. Mohammad Akmal announced that PSF is in the process of establishing a National Research Commission and will soon launch new initiatives to support Master’s and PhD-level research, aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s research base.
He reaffirmed that the foundation is firmly committed to transparency, integrity, and merit-based funding.
He said all research proposals submitted to PSF are processed through clearly defined eligibility criteria and independent peer-review mechanisms. Proposals are assessed by subject e
scientific quality, national relevance, and potential socio-economic impact, ensuring fairness, objectivity, and equal opportunity for researchers across the country.
The seminar was attended by participants from various science and technology departments and the Ministry of Science and Technology, reflecting broad institutional engagement with the goals of transparency and accountability in the scientific sector.