International Workshop on Nanotechnology, 24-27 Nov, 2011 Selangor, Malaysia
Academicians, researchers, scientists, policy makers and implementers, and government officials working in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology in the developing/developed countries, are invited to participate in this international workshop.
Nanotechnology, which is the study of manipulating matter on atomic and molecular scales, involves developing materials or devices possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers. This field of science has gathered enormous significance in recent years and tremendous advancements have been made with a variety of applications in a range of fields of science and technology, including materials sciences, surface science, organic chemistry, molecular biology, semiconductor physics, microfabrication, electronics, energy, medicine, etc. Nanotechnology has the potential to create many new materials and devices and it possibly holds solutions to world’s problems related to water, agriculture, nutrition, health and energy.
For developing countries, nanotechnology provides a new focus for research through its aim to manufacture from the ‘bottom-up’ approach using techniques and tools being developed today to make complete, high performance products, showing its potentiality in the form of improved water purification systems, energy systems, healthcare, food production and communications, etc. However, nanotechnology has raised some concerns and speculation about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials, and their potential effects on global economics. These issues have led to a debate among advocacy groups and governments on the necessity of special regulation on nanotechnology.
With a view to providing a forum for the academicians, scientists and researchers active in the fields of nano-science and nano-technology to deliberate upon the aforementioned issues and to increase awareness of this field’s significance, the Centre for Science & Technology of the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre), New Delhi, India in collaboration with the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), Islamabad, Pakistan and the Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics (IMEN), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Malaysia is organizing a 4-days International Workshop on ‘Nanotechnology in the Edge of Convergence’, on November 24-27, 2011 at Selangor, Malaysia. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is among the major sponsors of this scientific event.
