ISLAMABAD: The International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies is a global initiative adopted by the United Nations to raise awareness how optical technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to worldwide challenges in areas such as energy, education, communications, health, and sustainability.
A two-day symposium to commemorate International Year of Light and the thousandth anniversary of the Ibe Al-Haytham’s Optics Theory started here on Monday.
The symposium has been organised by National Centre for Physics (NCP) and Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU).
Addressing the inaugural session Dr Aslam Baig, the national coordinator for this activity, highlighted the importance of this global initiative.
He said the International Year of Light is a global initiative which will highlight to the citizens of the world the importance of light and optical technologies in their lives, for their futures, and for the development of society.
It is a unique opportunity to inspire, educate and connect on a global scale.
The year 2015 is scientifically very important as 100 years ago Einstien presented his theory of General Relativity and one thousand years ago renowned Muslim scientist and mathematician Ibe Al-Haytham wrote his famous book “Book of Optics”.
Talking about the initialisation of this global event Dr Aslam Baig said, “On 20 December 2013, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly’s 68th Session proclaimed 2015 as the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (IYL-15)”.
Initially the resolution was adopted with co-sponsorship from 35 countries but now more than 85 countries are part of this initiative including Pakistan.
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Director General NCP Dr Hafeez Hoorani gave a detailed presentation about the importance of light in life.
He said that light plays a vital role in daily life and is an imperative cross-cutting discipline of science in the 21st century.
On the most fundamental level through photosynthesis, light is necessary to the existence of life itself, and the many applications of light have revolutionised society through medicine, communications, entertainment and culture.
Industries based on light are major economic drivers, and light-based technologies directly respond to the needs of humankind.
