STEP – Science, Technology, and Education in Pakistan

Editors: This is the second part of "Establishing Technology Incubators in Pakistan." The first part can be read here. As part of our efforts to try and develop a "Do-It-Yourself" incubation center in Pakistan, we've set up Allied Incorporated as our first pilot project.... Read the rest of this entry

The Atlas is a landmark study that will explore the changing landscape of science and innovation across a diverse selection of countries with large Muslim populations in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, including in-depth case studies of fifteen geographically and economically diverse countries. It aims to draw important cross-country conclusions to help national policy-makers, international stakeholders, and development planners to chart the way forward. Read the rest of this entry

“Stones into Schools” picks up from where “Three Cups of Tea” left off, albeit in a more personal narrative this time round. Whereas the former referred to the protagonist as Mortenson, Greg employs a first-person narrative (“not my cup of tea,” he quips) to engage the reader with his experiences as he goes through the highs and lows of building schools – often several at a time. Read the rest of this entry

Entrepreneur types will tell you that every problem is an opportunity in disguise. If that were true, Pakistan would be the “land of opportunity”. But are they wrong when they say it? Nearly all of Pakistan’s problems can be monetized into successful businesses that... Read the rest of this entry

The etymology of the word “education” is found in the Latin word educare, meaning to “bring up” or to “bring out”. The reality of our system of education today is that it has less to do with “bringing out” and more with “putting in”. Students are exposed... Read the rest of this entry

Statistics stack the odds against most startups with about one out of ten chances of succeeding, and an even smaller chance to make it really big. But most failed entrepreneurs will tell you that they don't regret having tried. To understand why, I will present a series of articles covering various topics related to startups and would like readers who are actively engaged in startups or have opinions on related subjects to come forward and contribute or collaborate. Read the rest of this entry

STEP is honored to be the recipient of the Best Educational Blog in the 1st Annual Pakistan Blog Award. Our sincere thanks to the organizers, our readers and, most importantly, our contributors. Read the rest of this entry

Editor's Note: A general discussion page on the GRE requirement introduced by the HEC exists here. In 2005, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan imposed the requirement of clearing the GRE Subject Test prior to admission in the PhD programs. Students who... Read the rest of this entry

The following article is heavily influenced by Paul Lockhart's brilliant article, 'A mathematician's lament'. I only hope to add my experiences as a Pakistani student to back his stance in the debate over Mathematics Education. Throughout my life I have hated... Read the rest of this entry

Asad Abidi is a professor at the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He served as the first dean of LUMS' School of Science and Engineering from 2007 through 2009. In the first part of our conversation with... Read the rest of this entry

The next talk in the STEP Lecture Series will be given by Prof. Jeannette Wing, President's Professor of Computer Science in the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University, on Friday, April 23rd at 5:00pm PST. The title of the talk is Computational... Read the rest of this entry

In Fall 2008, the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) opened its doors to 150 freshmen students to study science and engineering at its brand new School of Science and Engineering (SSE). Offering undergraduate degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics,... Read the rest of this entry

Last month representatives from Carnegie Mellon University met with the administrators of various Pakistani universities, and the leadership at the HEC, to explore the possibility of establishing mutually beneficial collaboration between universities in Pakistan and... Read the rest of this entry

A new study published in the February issue of the Journal of Conflict Resolution, considers the impact of education and income on support for suicide bombings in a number of Muslim countries... Read the rest of this entry

“My heart breaks for my beloved country. I want to do something extra-ordinary for the betterment of my people, and I invite you to join me in a national cause by volunteering your time and expertise for this country,” says a high-level government official holding Rs.... Read the rest of this entry