Shaukat Hameed Khan
Encyclopedia
Shaukat Hameed Khan (PP
, D.Phil
, FPAS), is a Pakistan
i nuclear
physicist
and a senior professor of nuclear physics at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology
. He previously had served as the rector
of Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology
(GIKI). Khan has been associated with GIKI since its inception and serves as a member of the Board of Governors. He is a Fellow of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences
. Khan previously worked for the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
(PAEC
), where he retired as Chief Science Officer (CSO) in 2005.
Khan has made numerous contribution to the field of Laser physics
, and is an author of two books, which are heavily emphasized to the field of Laser sciences. Khan has also made important research and contribution in the fields of laser
produced plasmas
; Ultrafast High Voltage Switching
; Spectroscopy
, laser
isotope separation
, and precision measurement with lasers.
British Punjab
to an ethnic Pathan family. Khan did his matriculation
from Gordon College where he also received his pre-science diploma from there in 1957. The same year, he was admitted in Punjab University and received his B.Sc.
with honors in Physics
in 1961. In 1962, Khan won Rhodes Scholarship
and went to United Kingdom
to pursue his education. A Rhodes Scholar from Pakistan, Khan was admitted in Oxford University in 1962 where he did his B.A.
in Mathematics
from the same institution in 1964, followed by B.Sc.
in Mathematics from there. Khan had done his M.S.
in physics in 1966. While in Oxford, Khan completed his doctoral studies and was awarded his D.Phil.
in Nuclear Physics
from the University of Oxford in 1968.
in 1968. While in teaching in the institution, through dr. Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry
, Khan was introduced to dr. Abdus Salam
where prof. Abdus Salam had invited Khan to Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
(PAEC). Khan joined PAEC in 1969 as a "Principle Science Officer (PSO)" where Khan had founded and established the foundation of Laser Group.
While in Pakistan, in the midst of 1971 Winter war
, Khan was in Quetta
, Balochistan, where he had met with future chairman of PAEC Munir Ahmad Khan
. Munir Ahmad Khan who was paying a visit to then-prime minister
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, have had talked with the PAEC scientists in the development of the nuclear weapon. Dr. Shaukat Hameed Khan was one of the few scientists who were invited and attended the "Multan Meeting" to meet with Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1974, shortly after the Indian nuclear test. After the meeting, Khan who was the director of the Laser Labs, began to developed the nuclear weapon fuel techniques, and have done the preliminary worked on the different models
for the nuclear weapon
. In March 1974, Khan along with other PAEC scientists attended the meeting headed by PAEC chairman Munir Ahmad Khan and the science advisor to the Prime minister
dr. Abdus Salam
. In the meeting, Khan had suggested the Molecular laser isotope separation
(MLIS) method for the Uranium enrichment process. However, it was declined as Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood
had advocated for the Gas centrifuge
route. The MLIS process is a highly complex method, with many difficult techniques, comparing to Gas centrifuge process. Both process were considered by the PAEC and, after demonstrating each processes, the PAEC decided to use Gas-centrifuge method for the Uranium enrichment project. Outvoted, the PAEC did not completely abandon the MLIS method and Khan continued to work on MLIS method in PAEC for research purposes only. In PAEC, Khan had developed the laser techniques and methods to work on the nuclear reprocessing methods. It was Khan's MLIS method that PAEC was succeeded to separate plutonium from the weapon-grade uranium. In 1970s, Khan's lab was sat up in the New Labs where he had developed the complex techniques for the Plutonium reprocessing. Khan was part of the small team of scientists that had central role in the development of the first nuclear device. In March 1983, Khan had eye-witnessed the first cold test
of a nuclear device tested in Kirana Hill
s. His efforts led him to gain Pride of Performance award
awarded by General Zia-Ul-Haq in a Presidential ceremony
held in the Presidential office
in Islamabad.
In 1985, Khan was made the director of the "Optics Labs" in PAEC. In 1990, the Government of Pakistan
had ordered PAEC to build a Laser range-finder
. The PAEC Chairman Munir Ahmad Khan had summoned dr. Shaukat Hameed Khan and assigned him the project. Khan and his team had built and developed the device indigenously, and when it was ready, the device was put in demonstration. However, after the demonstration, the Government of Pakistan had awarded the contract to dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan
. To avoid the confrontation between KRL and PAEC, the government had awarded another contract to PAEC to developed a Laser-guided bomb for the Pakistan Air Force. Khan was a designer of the Laser-guided bomb
for Pakistan Air Force
. Khan is notably known for his inventing complex Laser
components for nuclear reactors to reduced the hazardous nuclear waste. In May 1998, Khan was among one of the senior scientist who had eye-witnessed the country's first and successful nuclear test
in Ras Koh Hills.
employed in the Large Hadron Collider
project at CERN in Geneva
. Khan serves as the co-chairman of Information Communication Technologies
taskforce. In 2001, Khan left CERN and re-joined PAEC; he was appointed director of PAEC in 2002. In 2002, Khan headed the Plasma physics lab at PAEC and printed numerous scientific articles about the discoveries in laser
and plasma physics. In 2005, Khan retired from PAEC as "Chief Science Officer". Khan is also working as the rector of Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology
(GIKI). He founded the laser programme in Pakistan which has now grown into the Optics Laboratories and a National Institute of Lasers and Optronics with several hundred researchers. He also established the plasma physics research institutes in Pakistan. Due to his work in Pakistan and PAEC, Khan is consider one of the prominent nuclear physicist in the country.
in the Planning Commission. Khan was also the project director of Vision 2030 Project which attempted to define a preferred future for Pakistan from several possible futures. This resulting document drew its inspiration and inputs from eminent citizens and was released in August 2007 soon after Pakistan’s 60th birthday. Khan later addressed a group of German parliamentarians on Vision 2030 in Berlin in October 2007.
Pride of Performance
Pride of Performance , is one of the highest civil award given and conferred by the Pakistan Government to Pakistan's citizens in recognition of distinguished merit in the fields of Literature, Arts, Sports, Medicines, and Science for civilians in most particular cases.The announcement of civil...
, D.Phil
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
, FPAS), is a Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i nuclear
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and a senior professor of nuclear physics at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology
Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology
-See also:* List of universities in Pakistan* GIKI clock tower* Project topi-External links:* * * * *...
. He previously had served as the rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology
Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology
-See also:* List of universities in Pakistan* GIKI clock tower* Project topi-External links:* * * * *...
(GIKI). Khan has been associated with GIKI since its inception and serves as a member of the Board of Governors. He is a Fellow of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences
Pakistan Academy of Sciences
The Pakistan Academy of Sciences The Pakistan Academy of Sciences The Pakistan Academy of Sciences (Urdu: پاکستان اكيڈ مى ﺁف سائس; shortened to PAS, is a learned society for science and technology based in Pakistan. The academy consisted and served as the network of science across the Pakistan as...
. Khan previously worked for the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, , is an administrative governmental and autonomous science and technology governmental department of Pakistan, responsible for development of nuclear energy and development of nuclear power sector in Pakistan...
(PAEC
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, , is an administrative governmental and autonomous science and technology governmental department of Pakistan, responsible for development of nuclear energy and development of nuclear power sector in Pakistan...
), where he retired as Chief Science Officer (CSO) in 2005.
Khan has made numerous contribution to the field of Laser physics
Laser Physics
Laser Physics is an international scientific journal published by Nauka/Interperiodica. It is distributed through the Springer.-Topics covered:The journal specializes in laser physics, but also publishes papers about:...
, and is an author of two books, which are heavily emphasized to the field of Laser sciences. Khan has also made important research and contribution in the fields of laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
produced plasmas
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
; Ultrafast High Voltage Switching
Atomic absorption spectroscopy
Atomic absorption spectroscopy is a spectroanalytical procedure for the qualitative and quantitative determination of chemical elements employing the absorption of optical radiation by free atoms in the gaseous state. In analytical chemistry the technique is used for determining the concentration...
; Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy. Historically, spectroscopy originated through the study of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, e.g., by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to comprise any interaction with radiative...
, laser
Molecular laser isotope separation
Molecular laser isotope separation is a method of isotope separation, where specially tuned lasers are used to separate isotopes of uranium using selective ionization of hyperfine transitions of uranium hexafluoride molecules. It is similar to AVLIS...
isotope separation
Isotope separation
Isotope separation is the process of concentrating specific isotopes of a chemical element by removing other isotopes, for example separating natural uranium into enriched uranium and depleted uranium. This is a crucial process in the manufacture of uranium fuel for nuclear power stations, and is...
, and precision measurement with lasers.
Biography
Khan was born in LahoreLahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
British Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
to an ethnic Pathan family. Khan did his matriculation
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
from Gordon College where he also received his pre-science diploma from there in 1957. The same year, he was admitted in Punjab University and received his B.Sc.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
with honors in Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
in 1961. In 1962, Khan won Rhodes Scholarship
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
and went to United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to pursue his education. A Rhodes Scholar from Pakistan, Khan was admitted in Oxford University in 1962 where he did his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
from the same institution in 1964, followed by B.Sc.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Mathematics from there. Khan had done his M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in physics in 1966. While in Oxford, Khan completed his doctoral studies and was awarded his D.Phil.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in Nuclear Physics
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
from the University of Oxford in 1968.
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
Khan came back to Pakistan under the Rhodes Scholarship contract, and had joined the Government College UniversityGovernment College University
Government College University, Lahore is a co-educational public university located on The Mall in Lahore, Pakistan...
in 1968. While in teaching in the institution, through dr. Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry
Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry
Professor Dr. Rafi Muhammad Chaudhry or R. M. Chaudhry , FPAS HI, NI, SI, Skdt, was a Pakistani nuclear physicist and a professor of particle physics at the Government College University...
, Khan was introduced to dr. Abdus Salam
Abdus Salam
Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk (Urdu: محمد عبد السلام, pronounced , (January 29, 1926– November 21, 1996) was a Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his work on the electroweak unification of the...
where prof. Abdus Salam had invited Khan to Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, , is an administrative governmental and autonomous science and technology governmental department of Pakistan, responsible for development of nuclear energy and development of nuclear power sector in Pakistan...
(PAEC). Khan joined PAEC in 1969 as a "Principle Science Officer (PSO)" where Khan had founded and established the foundation of Laser Group.
While in Pakistan, in the midst of 1971 Winter war
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
, Khan was in Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
, Balochistan, where he had met with future chairman of PAEC Munir Ahmad Khan
Munir Ahmad Khan
Munir Ahmad Khan , HI, was a Pakistani nuclear engineer and a scientist who served as the Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission from 1972 to 1991...
. Munir Ahmad Khan who was paying a visit to then-prime minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, have had talked with the PAEC scientists in the development of the nuclear weapon. Dr. Shaukat Hameed Khan was one of the few scientists who were invited and attended the "Multan Meeting" to meet with Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1974, shortly after the Indian nuclear test. After the meeting, Khan who was the director of the Laser Labs, began to developed the nuclear weapon fuel techniques, and have done the preliminary worked on the different models
Nuclear weapon design
Nuclear weapon designs are physical, chemical, and engineering arrangements that cause the physics package of a nuclear weapon to detonate. There are three basic design types...
for the nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
. In March 1974, Khan along with other PAEC scientists attended the meeting headed by PAEC chairman Munir Ahmad Khan and the science advisor to the Prime minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
dr. Abdus Salam
Abdus Salam
Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk (Urdu: محمد عبد السلام, pronounced , (January 29, 1926– November 21, 1996) was a Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his work on the electroweak unification of the...
. In the meeting, Khan had suggested the Molecular laser isotope separation
Molecular laser isotope separation
Molecular laser isotope separation is a method of isotope separation, where specially tuned lasers are used to separate isotopes of uranium using selective ionization of hyperfine transitions of uranium hexafluoride molecules. It is similar to AVLIS...
(MLIS) method for the Uranium enrichment process. However, it was declined as Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood
Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood
Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood, otherwise written as, Sultan Bashir-ud-Din Mehmood), and Manchester, United Kingdom. A controversial figure, Bashiruddin Mahmood is widely popular in Pakistan's scientific and religious circles for his scientific interpretation and its relation to Quran...
had advocated for the Gas centrifuge
Gas centrifuge
A gas centrifuge is a device that performs isotope separation of gases. A centrifuge relies on the principles of centripetal force accelerating molecules so that particles of different masses are physically separated in a gradient along the radius of a rotating container.A prominent use of gas...
route. The MLIS process is a highly complex method, with many difficult techniques, comparing to Gas centrifuge process. Both process were considered by the PAEC and, after demonstrating each processes, the PAEC decided to use Gas-centrifuge method for the Uranium enrichment project. Outvoted, the PAEC did not completely abandon the MLIS method and Khan continued to work on MLIS method in PAEC for research purposes only. In PAEC, Khan had developed the laser techniques and methods to work on the nuclear reprocessing methods. It was Khan's MLIS method that PAEC was succeeded to separate plutonium from the weapon-grade uranium. In 1970s, Khan's lab was sat up in the New Labs where he had developed the complex techniques for the Plutonium reprocessing. Khan was part of the small team of scientists that had central role in the development of the first nuclear device. In March 1983, Khan had eye-witnessed the first cold test
Cold fission
Cold fission or cold nuclear fission is defined as involving fission events for which fission fragments have such low excitation energy that no neutrons or gammas are emitted....
of a nuclear device tested in Kirana Hill
Kirana Hill
The Kirana Hills is a small mountain range in Pakistan's Punjab province. It spans approximately 40 miles across the districts of Sargodha and Jhang.-Topography:...
s. His efforts led him to gain Pride of Performance award
Pride of Performance
Pride of Performance , is one of the highest civil award given and conferred by the Pakistan Government to Pakistan's citizens in recognition of distinguished merit in the fields of Literature, Arts, Sports, Medicines, and Science for civilians in most particular cases.The announcement of civil...
awarded by General Zia-Ul-Haq in a Presidential ceremony
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
held in the Presidential office
Aiwan-e-Sadr
The Aiwan-e-Sadr or Presidency is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of Pakistan.The first President who used it was Ghulam Ishaq Khan, in 1988...
in Islamabad.
In 1985, Khan was made the director of the "Optics Labs" in PAEC. In 1990, the Government of Pakistan
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
had ordered PAEC to build a Laser range-finder
Laser range-finder
A laser rangefinder is a device which uses a laser beam to determine the distance to an object. The most common form of laser rangefinder operates on the time of flight principle by sending a laser pulse in a narrow beam towards the object and measuring the time taken by the pulse to be reflected...
. The PAEC Chairman Munir Ahmad Khan had summoned dr. Shaukat Hameed Khan and assigned him the project. Khan and his team had built and developed the device indigenously, and when it was ready, the device was put in demonstration. However, after the demonstration, the Government of Pakistan had awarded the contract to dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan
Abdul Qadeer Khan
Abdul Qadeer Khan , also known in Pakistan as Mohsin-e-Pakistan , D.Eng, Sc.D, HI, NI , FPAS; more widely known as Dr. A. Q...
. To avoid the confrontation between KRL and PAEC, the government had awarded another contract to PAEC to developed a Laser-guided bomb for the Pakistan Air Force. Khan was a designer of the Laser-guided bomb
Laser-guided bomb
A laser-guided bomb is a guided bomb that uses semi-active laser homing to strike a designated target with greater accuracy than an unguided bomb. LGBs are one of the most common and widespread guided bombs, used by a large number of the world's air forces.- Overview :Laser-guided munitions use a...
for Pakistan Air Force
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
. Khan is notably known for his inventing complex Laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
components for nuclear reactors to reduced the hazardous nuclear waste. In May 1998, Khan was among one of the senior scientist who had eye-witnessed the country's first and successful nuclear test
Chagai-I
The Chagai-I was a codename referring to the five underground nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan at 15:15hrs in 28th May of 1998. It was named Chagai-I, as the tests were conducted in the Chagai District...
in Ras Koh Hills.
European Organization for Nuclear Research
In 1999, Khan joined the European Organization for Nuclear Research (French for Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire or CERN), where he worked as senior scientist. At CERN, Khan was the chief designer and had helped design the Compact Muon SolenoidCompact Muon Solenoid
The Compact Muon Solenoid experiment is one of two large general-purpose particle physics detectors built on the proton-proton Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland and France. Approximately 3,600 people from 183 scientific institutes, representing 38 countries form the CMS collaboration...
employed in the Large Hadron Collider
Large Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. It is expected to address some of the most fundamental questions of physics, advancing the understanding of the deepest laws of nature....
project at CERN in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. Khan serves as the co-chairman of Information Communication Technologies
Information and communication technologies
Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology , but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of...
taskforce. In 2001, Khan left CERN and re-joined PAEC; he was appointed director of PAEC in 2002. In 2002, Khan headed the Plasma physics lab at PAEC and printed numerous scientific articles about the discoveries in laser
Laser Physics
Laser Physics is an international scientific journal published by Nauka/Interperiodica. It is distributed through the Springer.-Topics covered:The journal specializes in laser physics, but also publishes papers about:...
and plasma physics. In 2005, Khan retired from PAEC as "Chief Science Officer". Khan is also working as the rector of Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology
Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology
-See also:* List of universities in Pakistan* GIKI clock tower* Project topi-External links:* * * * *...
(GIKI). He founded the laser programme in Pakistan which has now grown into the Optics Laboratories and a National Institute of Lasers and Optronics with several hundred researchers. He also established the plasma physics research institutes in Pakistan. Due to his work in Pakistan and PAEC, Khan is consider one of the prominent nuclear physicist in the country.
2030 Vision Project
In 2005 he was appointed as Member for Science and TechnologyScience and technology
Science and technology is a term of art used to encompass the relationship between science and technology. It frequently appears within titles of academic disciplines and government offices.-See also:...
in the Planning Commission. Khan was also the project director of Vision 2030 Project which attempted to define a preferred future for Pakistan from several possible futures. This resulting document drew its inspiration and inputs from eminent citizens and was released in August 2007 soon after Pakistan’s 60th birthday. Khan later addressed a group of German parliamentarians on Vision 2030 in Berlin in October 2007.
Awards and honors
- National Talent Scholar, (1959–61)
- Gold Medal from Punjab UniversityUniversity of the PunjabUniversity of the Punjab , colloquially known as Punjab University, is located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The University of the Punjab is the oldest and biggest University of Pakistan. The University of the Punjab was formally established with the convening of the first meeting of its...
(1961) - Best All-Round Student, Gordon College Rawalpindi (1961)
- An elected Rhodes Scholar, Oxford University (1962)
- Pride of Performance awardPride of PerformancePride of Performance , is one of the highest civil award given and conferred by the Pakistan Government to Pakistan's citizens in recognition of distinguished merit in the fields of Literature, Arts, Sports, Medicines, and Science for civilians in most particular cases.The announcement of civil...
(1983) - Technology Gold Medal from Pakistan Academy of SciencesPakistan Academy of SciencesThe Pakistan Academy of Sciences The Pakistan Academy of Sciences The Pakistan Academy of Sciences (Urdu: پاکستان اكيڈ مى ﺁف سائس; shortened to PAS, is a learned society for science and technology based in Pakistan. The academy consisted and served as the network of science across the Pakistan as...
(1993) - An elected Fellow of the Pakistan Nuclear Society (2000)