Random thoughts
By Dr A Q Khan

In Part I last week on the importance of computer technology I discussed the subject in general and gave a few useful related web sites. In this second part I would like to discuss artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, the professional scope for computer engineers and what is expected professionally from them. In addition to the disciplines mentioned in Part I, emerging technologies, applications and curriculum recommendations have appeared, which need to be mentioned as well.
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Random thoughts
By Dr A Q Khan

It is very gratifying to get literally hundreds of emails from young students at home and abroad with suggestions and requests to write on various topics, mostly on engineering disciplines. This column is in response to such requests and is meant for the student community and not for experts and trained professionals in this field who definitely know much more than I do. I hope this information will be useful to future computer engineers and scientists. Since many foreign universities teach artificial intelligence (AI) in computer science, I am also briefly touching this topic. It should be realised that computer technology is one of the most fundamental disciplines of engineering and, together with mechanical engineering, metallurgical engineering, electronic engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering and bio-engineering, forms the basis of the industrial development of a country. I am thankful to my old colleague, Eng Nasim Khan, for invaluable input for this column. Read the rest of this entry »

Random thoughts
By A Q Khan

“Tremendous pressure was brought on Pakistan; our economic aid was cut off by the USA and an embargo was put on even such small things as rubber O-rings and magnets. We faced these problems with boldness and increased our efforts to finish the job as soon as possible.

“Once it was known that we were working on the enrichment technology, the Western press mounted a most vicious and unfounded propaganda against our programme. A case was initiated against me in Holland for writing two letters from Pakistan to two of my former colleagues. The letters were said to be an attempt to obtain information which the Public Prosecutor interpreted as being classified. I was prosecuted without my knowledge and in my absence. The information I had asked for was ordinary technical information available in published literature for many decades. I submitted certificates from six world-renowned professors from Holland, Belgium, England and Germany stating that the information requested by me was public knowledge and was not classified. I filed an appeal against this unjust case and the High Court of Amsterdam quashed the verdict of the lower court. On 16th June, 1985, the Dutch government finally dropped all charges.
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