Ishfaq Ahmad Khan: Difference between revisions

Ishfaq Ahmed
Ishfaq Ahmed
Born	November 3, 1930 (age 93); Gurdaspur, British India present-day India
Nationality	Pakistani
Alma mater	Université de Montréal, Canada; University of Punjab, Pakistan
Known for	Pakistan's nuclear Program
Awards	Sitara-i-Imtiaz; Hilal-i-Imtiaz; Nishan-i-Imitiaz
	Scientific career
Fields	Nuclear Physics
Institutions	Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC); Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH); European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN); International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Quaid-e-Azam University; Global Change Impact Studies Centre (GCLSC)

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Ishfaq Ahmad (Urdu: اشفاق احمد) Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Hilal-i-Imtiaz, Nishan-i-Imitiaz, (born 3 November 1930) is a Pakistani nuclear physicist and well-known educationist of Pakistan. He is currently advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on strategic programs, with the status of Federal Minister, and the chairman of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) from 1991-2001. Ishfaq Ahmed played an important role in Pakistan's nuclear program. He rose to national fame in May 1998 when he headed PAEC as a chairman while conducted the country's successful nuclear tests in Balochistan.

Early Education

Ishfaq Ahmad received his early education from Gurdaspur, British India. After the Partition of India, Ishfaq Ahmad and his majority of family migrated to Lahore, Pakistan. Ishfaq Ahmad attended University of the Punjab where he received his B.Sc in physics in 1949. Ishfaq Ahmad was awarded his M.Sc in Physics from the University of the Punjab, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, in 1951. In 1958, he went to Canada and attended Université de Montréal Quebec, where he was awarded a D.Sc in Nuclear Physics from the Université de Montréal.

Joining PAEC and Chairman of the PAEC

From 1952 to 1960, Ahmad served as a professor of nuclear physics at the Government College University. The same year, he joined Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission as a senior scientific officer. He kept his position till 1966. In 1961, he went to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he become a visiting post-doctorals fellow at the Niels Bohr Institute of Theoretical Physics. From 1963-1964, Ahmad went to Canada and joined his alma mater, Université de Montréal and University of Ottawa. He also served as a secretary of PAEC from 1967-1969. In 1969, he became a post-doctoral Fellow at both the Sorbonne, University of Paris (France). The same year, he came bcak to Pakistan, where he was as appointed a director of Pakistan Atomic Energy Center (PAEC) Lahore. He kept his postion till 1971. The same year, he was appointed as a director of Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH). He served as director of the institution till 1976. He has also been chief nuclear physicist at the PAEC since 1976. After serving for thirteen years as member (technical) of the same commission, he became a senior member of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) from 1988 till 1991. He has also been chief nuclear physicist at the PAEC since 1976. Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad.

Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad oversaw the development of the nuclear fuel cycle and weapon development programs as Member Technical, PAEC, under Chairman Mr. Munir Ahmad Khan. He played a crucial role in a uranium conversion (oxide, metal and uranium hexafluoride gas) or UF6 production complex at Dera Ghazi Khan, which provides the crucial UF6 feedstock for uranium enrichment at Kahuta; and other classified projects of PAEC.

He also directed a team of nuclear physicists at Kharan and Chaghi to sat up a nuclear lab. Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad has led the Pakistan delegation to the IAEA Board of Governors and the IAEA General Conference. In 1986, Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, along with late Pakistani nuclear engineer and Chairman, PAEC Munir Ahmad Khan, led PAEC to reach civilian nuclear technology agreement with China. In 2000, He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctorate by the Punjab University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore. In the same year, he was elected a Fellow of the International Nuclear Energy Academy. He is the recipient of the three highest official awards in Pakistan namely Sitara-i-Imtiaz, the Hilal-i-Imtiaz and the Nishan-i-Imitiaz, the last of which was awarded to him in 1998. Dr. Ishfaq Ahmed is consider one of the prominent nuclear physicist in Pakistan.

Heading Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission at CERN

In 1994, dr. Ishfaq Ahmad visited CERN as a PAEC chairman. Since then Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad struggled to reach a contract between CERN and PAEC. In 1997, Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad headed PAEC to reach a contract between PAEC and CERN after elaborate discussions an in-kind contribution worth one million Swiss francs for the construction of eight magnet supports for the CMS detector. In 1998, Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, as PAEC chairman, reached another contract with CERN. The signing of the agreement was followed by the Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad and dr. Christopher Llewellyn Smith's visit to Pakistan in 1998. The agreement provided an entry point for Pakistani scientists and engineers into the CMS collaboration. In 2000, Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad reached another agreement between PAEC and CERN during the official visit of Luciano Maiani to Pakistan. This new agreement covered the construction of the resistive plate chambers required for the CMS muon system. Recently, a protocol has been signed enhancing Pakistan's total contribution to the LHC programme to $10 million. In Press Conference with Luciano Maiani, Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad said "I very much hope and wish that these developments may eventually lead to Pakistan becoming an observer state at CERN".

Contribution to education in Pakistan

Ishfaq Ahmad has played a significant role in the following fields in Pakistan; scientific manpower training, establishment of R&D facilities, indigenous production of nuclear materials, indigenization of peaceful uses of nuclear technology as well as classified applications of nuclear technology. He has also encouraged physics talent test programmes in Pakistan leading to participation in Physics Olympiad. He has been a professor of nuclear physics, nuclear engineering and high energy physics at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Since 2001, after his retirement from PAEC Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad has been instrumental for the establishment of the Riazuddin National Centre for Physics (RNCP) at Quaid-e-Azam University and has served as chair of its board of governors. He is a highly cited researcher in the field of nuclear physics, high energy physics, and nuclear technology.

Heading Global Change Impact Studies Centre

Dr Ishfaq Ahmad’s efforts has led to the creation of the Global Change Impact Studies Centre (GCISC) in Islamabad where, for the first time, research on Climatic Change is being undertaken in Pakistan. GCISC serves as the Secretariat of the Prime Minister’s Committee on Climate Change. After the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, the Government has decided to establish a Center for Earthquake studies in Islamabad, under the technical direction of Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad.

Awards and Honours

Sitara-i-Imtiaz (1998)
Hilal-i-Imtiaz (1998)
Nishan-i-Imitiaz (1998)
Gold Medal, Pakistan Academy of Sciences (1998)
Gold Medal, Institute of Leadership Management (ILM) (1998)
Gold Medal, Society of Engineering, Materials and Metallurgical Engineering (SEMME), Karachi, (1998)
Gold Medal, Geological Society of Punjab, (1998)

Fellowships

An elected President of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (2007)
Board of Governors of the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology (GIKI) (2002)
Chairman and Board of Governors, Riazuddin National Center for Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad (2001)
Fellow of the Islamic World Academy of Sciences (2000)
Fellow of the Nuclear Society of Pakistan (1997)
An elected fellow of the Pakistan Nuclear Society (1993)
A Honorary Fellow of the International Academy of Nuclear Energy
Board of Governors of the Government College, Lahore (1989-1996)
A fellow of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (1983)
A fellow at Niels Bohr Institute of Theoretical Physics, Copenhagen, Denmark (1961-1962)

References

http://cerncourier.com/cws/article/cern/28934/1/cernpak2_10-03
http://cerncourier.com/cws/article/cern/28934

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 == Joining PAEC and Chairman of the PAEC ==
+From 1952 to 1960, Ahmad served as a professor of [[nuclear physics]] at the [[Government College University]]. The same year, he joined Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission as a senior scientific officer. He kept his position till 1966. In 1961, he went to Copenhagen, Denmark, where he become a visiting post-doctorals fellow at the [[Niels Bohr Institute of Theoretical Physics]]. From 1963-1964, Ahmad went to Canada and joined his alma mater, [[Université de Montréal]] and [[University of Ottawa]]. He also served as a secretary of PAEC from 1967-1969. In 1969, he became a post-doctoral Fellow at both the Sorbonne, [[University of Paris]] ([[France]]). The same year, he came bcak to Pakistan, where he was as appointed a director of Pakistan Atomic Energy Center (PAEC) Lahore. He kept his postion till 1971. The same year, he was appointed as a director of [[Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology]] (PINSTECH). He served as director of the institution till 1976.  He has also been chief [[nuclear physicist]] at the PAEC since 1976. After serving for thirteen years as member (technical) of the same commission, he became a senior member of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) from 1988 till 1991. He has also been chief [[nuclear physicist]] at the PAEC since 1976. Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad.
-He was a senior member, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), 1988-1991, after serving for thirteen years as member (technical) of the same commission. He has also been chief [[nuclear physicist]] at the PAEC since 1976. Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad served as director, [[Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology]] (PINSTECH), [[Islamabad]], Pakistan, 1971-1976; director, Pakistan Atomic Energy Center (PAEC) Lahore, 1969-1971; secretary, PAEC, 1967-1969; senior scientific officer, PAEC, 1960-1966; and lecturer, [[Government College]], Lahore, 1952-1960. He was a post-doctoral Fellow at both the Sorbonne, [[Paris]] ([[France]]), in 1969; and at the [[Niels Bohr Institute]] of [[Theoretical Physics]], [[Copenhagen]] (1961-1962). Prior to that (1963-1964), Dr Ahmad was a post-doctoral Fellow at both the Université de Montréal, and the [[University of Ottawa]], [[Ottawa]], [[Canada]]. Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad oversaw the development of the nuclear fuel cycle and weapon development programs as Member Technical, PAEC, under Chairman Mr. [[Munir Ahmad Khan]]. He played a crucial role in  a [[uranium conversion]] ([[oxide]], metal and [[uranium hexafluoride]] gas) or [[UF6]] production complex at Dera Ghazi Khan, which provides the crucial [[UF6]] feedstock for [[uranium enrichment]] at Kahuta; and other classified projects of PAEC.
+Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad oversaw the development of the nuclear fuel cycle and weapon development programs as Member Technical, PAEC, under Chairman Mr. [[Munir Ahmad Khan]]. He played a crucial role in  a [[uranium conversion]] ([[oxide]], metal and [[uranium hexafluoride]] gas) or [[UF6]] production complex at Dera Ghazi Khan, which provides the crucial [[UF6]] feedstock for [[uranium enrichment]] at Kahuta; and other classified projects of PAEC.
 He also directed a team of nuclear physicists at Kharan and Chaghi to sat up a nuclear lab. Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad has led the [[Pakistan]] delegation to the [[IAEA]] Board of Governors and the IAEA General Conference. In 1986, Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, along with late [[Pakistani]] [[nuclear engineer]] and Chairman, PAEC Munir Ahmad Khan, led PAEC to reach [[civilian]] [[nuclear technology]] agreement with [[China]]. In 2000, He was awarded the honorary degree of Doctorate by the [[Punjab University]] of [[Engineering]] and [[Technology]], Lahore. In the same year, he was elected a Fellow of the [[International Nuclear Energy Academy]]. He is the recipient of the three highest official awards in Pakistan namely [[Sitara-i-Imtiaz]], the [[Hilal-i-Imtiaz]] and the [[Nishan-i-Imitiaz]], the last of which was awarded to him in 1998. Dr. Ishfaq Ahmed is consider one of the prominent nuclear physicist in Pakistan.