LUMS Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE), Physics faculty, Dr. Sabieh Anwar presented his ideas about experimental science in the Muslim world at the 21st gathering of the Islamic World Academy of Sciences. The meeting took place between October 8 and 11, 2017 in Konya, Turkey which is the final resting place of the celebrated poet Rumi.
Dr. Anwar presented interesting examples from history and traced the evolution of experiments and laboratories in the Muslim world. He emphasised the importance of developing tools and scientific instruments, cognate with theory and ideas. He presented an analysis of why many Islamic countries fall behind developing a culture that is amenable to the development of experimental science and practical knowledge. Laboratories are not just physical spaces, but also social hubs and have traditionally played an important, but often neglected role in the evolution of scientific knowledge and technology in the Muslim world. After the collapse of the post-colonial paradigm and the blossoming of a new international culture of science, a paradigm shift is required in how Muslim countries face the challenges of conducting meaningful work in the field of science.
The Islamic World Academy of Sciences is an international academy that links up academies of science from the Islamic comity. The 21st conference was co-organised by the Turkish Academy of Sciences and Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya.
