Our History and Ambitions
The Khwarizmi Science Society, KSS is Pakistan’s most active and organized science association: organizing seminars, national workshops, public and popular lectures, sponsoring students’ science projects, screening video presentations and science movies, and arranging field visits and symposiums of high quality. Most of these events are announced and reported in the local press and locally published science communiqués as well.
The Khwarizmi Science Society (KSS) aims to make science accessible and understandable to all and nurture a culture of science in Pakistan. We were founded in 1997. In 2009, the year earmarked as the International Year of Astronomy, we organized a series of Falkiyati Melas (Astronomy Fests) in a number of urban and remote regions of Pakistan. These festivals gained massive coverage in both international and national media. In 2016, we have also catalyzed the National Science Movement across numerous schools in our country. Along with our extensive science road shows throughout the country reaching thousands of school children and adults, over the past 20 years, we also organize the Lahore Science Mela every year which is a festival of science, bringing together the fascination of science and technology to students and the citizens of the country.
The full list of our activities can be browsed here: https://khwarizmi.org/all-activities-condensed/
The KSS greatly cherishes its inter-disciplinary character. Our events range from the mathematical to the biological sciences, the intricacies of the sub-atomic world to the pristine beauty of the natural habitat, from the inner workings of a petrol engine to the promise of fuel cells, from the human genome project to the advances in telecommunications. We also cover topics of imminent interest and of paramount national and social importance, such as Pakistan’s nuclear program, the cracking of the human genome and its ethical implications, and the outbreak of community diseases such as the dengue fever. Our no-boundaries philosophies even takes us into unchartered waters, commonly neglected discourses in Pakistan, such as astronomy, earth sciences and the history and philosophy of science.
The KSS does not belong to one educational institution. Our members and participants are students of science, economics, history, literature and religion, all sharing a common goal – the quest and never ending thirst for knowledge. We are not even confined to students and academicians. We have gained our worth amongst the general public as well. Our unique characteristic is our series of public lectures that do not assume any prior knowledge of the subjects under discussion and attract the laity. These lectures are often conducted in Urdu, maximizing comprehension and a “homely atmosphere”. This helps us a long way in achieving our goal of popularizing science.
One of our major aims is the character building of students by boosting their confidence levels. Our seminars and lectures are not only conducted by renowned experts, but also by students. This provides them the opportunity to share their message with their peers and helps promulgate their ideas within teachers and scientists. We personally feel that it is very important to break this communication gap between teachers and students, the experts and the novices and the KSS is duly fulfilling its role in this respect as well.
In short, our major objectives are:
- organizing scientific meetings and dialogue
- encouraging students
- promoting Student-scientist interaction
- working towards the mass popularization of science
- nurturing collaborations and developing a feel for scientific resource sharing, and
- enabling practical scientific exposure.
I hope you will appreciate the untiring efforts we have put in towards the operation and growth of the Khwarzimic Science Society, mostly done with very meager resources, but with indomitable will and the selfless sacrifice of my Executive Committee and all the Members and well-wishers of the Society.
How could you become a part of us? Join the Khwarzimic Science Society as Life Members, help spread our message, contribute your time, share your financial resources and volunteer your energies in helping us achieve our objectives. We are looking forward to welcoming you onboard.