A three-day international conference titled 'Recent Trends in Plasma Physics' was held at Forman Christian College (A Chartered University), Lahore, under the auspices of the University’s Department of Physics, Higher Education Commission, Pakistan Academy of Sciences, and ORIC FCCU, Lahore.
A dedicated session in the conference's closing moments paid homage to Prof. Abdus Salam, with Dr Anis Alam, Dr G. Murtaza, and Dr Hassan Shah shedding light on Prof. Salam's life and his influential role in promoting plasma physics research in Pakistan.
The inaugural session witnessed a notable turnout, with Dr. Jonathan Addleton, the Rector of FCCU, expressing the significance of such academic endeavours. The Rector said the conference would not only lead researchers in the right direction but would also generate collaborations between different active groups in the field which is essential for the growth of science in the community.
International experts in the field, including Dr Peter Yoon, Dr M. Fraz Bashir, Dr Ioannis Kourakis, Dr Roberto Bruno, and Dr Rodrigo Lopez, actively participated through virtual platforms. Meanwhile, numerous esteemed speakers from various regions of Pakistan presented their research in person.
Addressing the participants, the chair of the conference and Dean of Natural Sciences FCCU, Prof. Dr Hassan Amir Shah (SI), said the primary objective of this conference was to raise awareness among young researchers and graduate students about contemporary trends in theoretical plasma physics. “The conference aims not only to guide them in the right direction but also to foster collaborations among different active groups in the field, essential for the scientific growth of the community,” he said.
Prof. Dr. Sadia Zaheer, Chairperson of the Physics Department at FCCU, and Prof. Dr. M. Nauman S. Qureshi served as the conference secretaries.