As muslim countries progress, why do so many in the west react with anger and jealousy?

A futuristic classroom at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. KAUST is becoming a jealousy magnet.

TechCrunch just published a piece about the inauguration of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology(KAUST). This institution is absolutely marvelous by all accounts. Not only does it have a $10BN endowment, one of the largest of any institution in the Islamic world,  it also has state of the art facilities, ranging from the world’s 15th most powerful supercomputer (Shaheen), to a nano tech fabrication lab  and the world’s highest resolution immersive visualization display. And these wonders are just the beginning. A lot more lies in wait for students and researchers. Shaheen, for example, will continue to be upgraded and will climb the world supercomputer rankings rapidly. Last but not least, the campus itself, built on 30 sq km, is beautiful.

So, when TechCrunch sent a correspondent to cover the launch of the University and King Abdullah’s inaugural address, I expected that the event would attract the right sort of attention; folks interested in education, and happy to see progress and development. Unfortunately, the reactions on TechCrunch have been largely ugly, to say the least.

TechLahore’s waiting for the colour Kindle Reader. Could you hurry it up, Amazon?

Amazon's new Kindle DX E-book Reader

Over the past few years, I have spent the better part of  a King’s Ransom on tech devices. When Compaq’s very first Aero Pocket PC came out, I got it. With a 56Kbps compact flash modem. It cost me more than a PC, but I got it. I even had visions of using it in my PC’s stead. I’m still waiting for that to happen. When the new Sony Clie NZ90 came out, I rushed and grabbed me one… complete with Wifi card. I’ve bought more Windows Mobile and Pocket PC devices then you can shake a stick at. I was also one of the few people who ever bought the Palm VII and subscribed to the unlimited wireless service plan. Cybikos? Half a dozen. Netbooks? Three. Handsprings? Yes. Vtec Helio (What the hell is a Vtec helio, right?!) Yes! I’m sick that way, and yeah, a Kings Ransom is about right.

But, TechLahore, you might ask, why then have you not bought a Kindle Reader yet?

Some interesting facts about India’s $10 laptop

Piece of plastic with five wires coming out of it? No. That's the Sakshat non-laptop.

There’s been a lot of press lately about India’s “$10″ laptop. Before many details were available, it was hailed as a great stride forward in systems design and we were all anxious to learn what groundbreaking innovations had enabled a laptop to  be built so cheaply. As more has come out in the open about this laptop, we’ve learned the following facts, which unfortunately point to the “$10 laptop” being a bit of a farce.

Calling all Makers, Hackers, Inventors and Builders in Pakistan

This interesting looking taxi is made in Pakistan. Mods, hacks, rebuilds, anyone?

One of the things I’ve always felt Pakistan needs a LOT more of is the “Do it yourself” culture. For one reason or another, while there is invention happening out of necessity, whether it is in the defence labs of NDC or ordinary villages where an everyday problem needs to be addressed, “doing it yourself” still isn’t prevalent in our culture and it doesn’t come naturally to us. Quite the opposite, some would argue. Like it or not, we are still dealing with leftover “Baboo’ism” from the colonial era.

Why is DIY so important? Why is it more than just a hobby? Why is it a critical need for any nation wishing to stay relevant? I’ve written about this many times before, so I won’t bore you by regurgitating what I’ve already said in my series of Maker Faire articles. You can read them here:

“Pakistan has world’s largest WiMAX network – Will America catch up?”, wonders TMCnet

The under construction Sheikh Zayed complex in Lahore

Doesn’t that headline just put a smile on your face? You’re not the only one. It’s great to see that the significant human effort augmented by billions of dollars invested in Pakistan’s IT infrastructure and skill-development are bearing tangible fruit. There are several areas where Pakistan is leading the pack already, and others where it is threatening to.

1. Pakistan is the most connected country in South Asia, with the highest teledensity
2. Pakistan’s communications costs are lower than any other country in the region
3. Pakistan has the world’s largest biometric database (NADRA); this system (not the data)  is now being provided to allied countries
4. Pakistan has the world’s largest WiMAX network
5. Pakistan has one of the world’s most aggressive Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) rollouts
6. Pakistan has one of the highest rates of cellular connectivity growth in the world (According to PTA 2007’s report the rate of growth in Pakistan’s mobile sector is fourth highest in the world)
7. Pakistan was the winner of the 2007 GSM industry association award

LUMS students launch an internet based radio station

I recently heard from Farrukh Jawed over at LUMS. He wrote to me excitedly about a project that he and his LUMS compadres have been working on for quite some time now. No, it’s not a souped up dialup network for people in developing countries, or a submission to an MIT contest. It’s actually a new internet based radio station! I’ll let Farrukh introduce it in his own words:

Pakistan tops the list of countries with fastest growing Scientific citations

Lahore's University of Engineering and Technology. An academic block (top), and a GSM research lab (bottom).

This makes for a nice follow-up to the previously posted Large Hadron Collider story.

Sciencewatch is a global database that tracks scientific publications, papers and citations. Last month, Pakistan topped the list of countries with the biggest percentage increase in citations. Pakistan leads in the largest number of categories when compared to any other country. These categories include Computer Science, Engineering, Math and Materials Science.

Citations are not only a measure of the volume of work being done, but also its quality. You don’t get cited until you’ve published a piece of work of relevance to the wider community, or important to the development of your field of research. So we’re especially happy that it’s not just the volume of our scientists’ output, but also the excellence of the work that’s getting recognized. Bravo! The link and the complete table after the fold.

27 Pakistani Scientists working on CERN’s LHC “Big Bang” Experiments

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is drawing a lot of media attention. As it should, since the LHC is the most expensive piece of experimental gear ever assembled. It aims to uncover no less than absolutely fundamental truths about creation, and the universe we live in. Will we find the elusive Higgs Boson? Will we uncover energy leaks into other dimensions, providing experimental credence to the premise of String Theory? These and many other fundamental questions will potentially be unraveled by the LHC.

But as with most such large scale projects, the LHC has had its share of detractors. There was initially some fear (amongst the scientifically challenged!) that miniature black holes would result from the particle collisions, potentially consuming the Earth. Well, that certainly didn’t happen! But we did recently learn something a little more real and useful… and that is that Pakistan had a major role to play in these experiments. In fact, there are no less than 27 Pakistani scientists and physicists involved in the operation of the LHC.

Now this is certainly something to celebrate and be proud of! Our brilliant men and women are at the very forefront of ground breaking discoveries in science!

Dow University in Karachi implements Peoplesoft

The Daily Times reports that the Dow University in Karachi has implemented an Oracle/PeopleSoft Enterprise Campus Solution. This includes a student portal, access for professors and administration. Some of the more often used features include self-service workflows like registering for classes, checking scores and so on. For more information on this ERP system, you can look at this PDF at the Oracle website: PeopleSoft Campus Solution.

The only question we have is why the Dow University felt it necessary to purchase this system (for Rs. 45M!) from Oracle/Peoplesoft? There are far less expensive options available from local companies. And the University’s own IT dept and students could have implemebted a perfectly accetable solution.

China Telecom to invest a further $800M in Pakistan

China Telecom is now the world’s largest telco. It’s yet another indication of how influence and power are continuing their eastward journey… as Bob Dylan once poignantly said, “The times they are a changin’”. In order to supplement its domestic growth, China Telecom is looking at international markets to expand into. Their 2007 entry into Pakistan has been one of the most significant moves they’ve made in this direction. Last year, they struck a deal to buy-out Paktel, which has since been rebranded Zong, and launched a significant campaign to enhance their share of the mobile telephone market.

The Business Recorder reports today that Mr. Wang Gian Zhuo, the President of China Mobile has announced that his company’s plans in Pakistan will be augmented by a further $800 Million investment to develop infrastructure and lay the ground work for more advanced service provision. And as a demonstration of their commitment to Pakistan, China Telecom has also announced that they will be launching several initatives for socio-economic uplift, including the distribution of free text books to deserving children in the country. Great idea and something that will go a long way in building goodwill for China Telecom and its products!