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A five-member European Organisation of Nuclear Research delegation was in Pakistan between August 24 and August 28 to determine the progress of the country in science and technology. The visit was confirmed by the Foreign Office (FO) and the team met senior officials and toured multiple research sites.
The delegation met the chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) which leads the Pak CERN collaboration. The visitors inspected the National Centre for Physics, the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology, the National Institute for Laser and Optronics and Heavy Mechanical Complex number three.
Pakistan became an associate member of CERN on July 31, 2015 and the status has opened access to joint projects and technical partnerships. The associate membership aims to link Pakistani scientists and industry with large scale international experiments and procurement opportunities.
Officials and industry partners highlighted tangible gains from the partnership. Pakistan has won engineering contracts that support CERN programmes and has used those projects to build local capacity in precision manufacturing and advanced instrumentation. Observers say those contracts have strengthened the domestic industrial base and helped train engineers who work on high energy physics experiments.
The CERN review follows earlier assessments and task force visits that evaluated Pakistan s associate membership and project delivery. The current visit focused on capacity building and on how national facilities can support longer term collaboration with CERN and with other international research bodies.
Officials said that the outcome of the visit will guide future work plans and that Pakistan will continue to expand training and procurement linked to CERN projects. The delegation s appraisal reinforces existing ties and sets the stage for deeper scientific cooperation and for broader technology transfers that benefit research institutions and industry across Pakistan.
