Lahore, The Department of Polymer and Process Engineering at the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore successfully hosted the 1st Pak Polymer Symposium 2024. The event, held at the Chemical Engineering Seminar Hall, brought together industry leaders and academic professionals to discuss innovations and challenges in polymer engineering.
According to University of Engineering and Technology, the symposium was sponsored by the Pakistan Science Foundation, Pak Petrochemicals Ltd., and chaired by Prof. Dr. Asif Ali Qaiser. The chief guest, Mr. Kashif Anwar, President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industries, emphasized the importance of strong connections between academia and industry and praised the department’s efforts in establishing these linkages.
The highlight of the event was a plenary speech by Prof. Dr. John Verbeek from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, who discussed a transdisciplinary approach to addressing New Zealand’s plastic waste problem. The symposium also featured five technical sessions focusing on various aspects of polymer engineering, including product design, injection molding, extrusion industry, recycling challenges in packaging, advanced polymer composites, and new materials for elastomers.
The event attracted delegates from notable industry names such as SPEL, FlexPac Association, RON Extrusion, and Panther Tires, among others. Additionally, the symposium included a poster competition where COMSATS University Islamabad secured the first position, followed by ITPE, Punjab University in second place.
The symposium concluded with the distribution of shields and certificates to the organizers and volunteer students, marking a significant step towards enhancing industry-academic collaboration in the field of polymer engineering.