The Department of Physics, Quaid-e-Azam University (Urdu: طبیعیات کے سیکشن جامعہ قائداعظم) (founded as the Institute of Physics, QAU), is an academic and research department of the Quaid-e-Azam University (Qau), Pakistan. It is also referred to as the Institute of Theoretical Physics. In 2018, it was officially renamed as al-Khazini Department, named after al-Khazini.[1][2]

Established in 1966 with efforts led by Abdus Salam,[3] the institute was located in Rawalpindi, Punjab Province and offered research in mathematics and theoretical physics.[4] Professor Riazuddin served its first and founding director of the institute after shifting to the present QAU campus in 1972.[4] The institute is considered a birthplace of school of theoretical physics of Pakistan.[3] It is also a birthplace of "Theoretical Physics Group" (TPG), now shifted to PINSTECH, and invited scientists from all over the world.[4] The department has collaborated with institutes including Kahuta Research Laboratories, National Centre for Physics, Government College University, the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and CERN.[4]

Foundation and history

The Schrödinger equation, use to describe how the quantum state of a physical system changes with time

Between 1966 and 1968, Abdus Salam's doctoral students had returned to Pakistan after earning their doctorates and experience.[3] These physicists had been under Abdus Salam's influence and were eager to establish an institute of physics.[3] Abdus Salam enabled them to engage their research in theoretical physics and to establish the country's first school of theoretical physics.[3] Abdus Salam provided his support to establish the institute and gave the founding directorship of the institute to his pupil student, Riazuddin.[3]

Abdus Salam and Riazuddin founded the first "Theoretical Physics Group (TPG)" in 1968 that gave birth to Pakistan's school of theoretical physics.[3] The infrastructure was built by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) after Raziuddin Siddiqui also persuaded the PAEC to provide its full support to establish this institute as a birthplace of theoretical physics.[3] The new institute was re-established at the University of Islamabad and, Salam, Siddiqui and Bhutto convinced the authorities in Pakistan, specifically President Ayub Khan, to make the proposed university a research institution.[3] Siddiqui convinced the chairman of PAEC, dr IH Usmani, to send all the theoreticians in PAEC to the Institute of Physics at the University of Islamabad to form a theoretical physics group.[3]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Offended by Abdus Salam's name, NA passes resolution renaming wrong building". The Express Tribune. May 3, 2018.
  2. ↑ Dawn.com, Nadir Gurmani (May 3, 2018). "NA resolution passed to rename QAU physics department, not centre for physics". DAWN.COM.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Hussain, Faheem. "The Theoretical Physics Group at" (google docs). Dr. Prof. Faheem Hussain of the School of Science and Engineering. Lahore University of Management Sciences. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Dept. of Physics. "Department of Physics". Quaid-e-Azam University Press. Archived from the original on 19 March 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
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