Report on the 2nd Module of First Refresher Course for Physics Teachers.

Conducted at the National Center for Physics (NCP), QAU, Shahdara Campus

August 01-19, 2017

Summary: The second module was in continuation of the 1st Refresher Courses conducted by NCP in August 2016. The First Module had covered three of the basic areas of M.Sc. or the Senior Level of 4 year BS program. The second module covered the 3 remaining core areas, viz. Quantum Mechanics, Thermal Physics and Mathematical Physics (II). The emphasis of the program was on reviewing main concepts and techniques that students are expected to be familiarized with at the M.Sc. or Senior BS level but unfortunately the trend in most institutions is to derive results and ask for reproduction in the tests and examinations. This course was designed with lectures and tutorials with a heavy bias towards learning how to elucidate concepts and how to apply them to solving problems. The participants consisted of College and young university teachers from all over the country while the teaching faculty comprised experienced and highly dedicated young faulty from QAU, COMSATSIIT, NUST and NCP.

Directors of the Program:

Prof. S. K. Hasanain, Senior Expert COMSTECH and Dr. Mohsin Siddiq, Director Theoretical Physics Directorate NCP

Teaching Faculty:

Mathematical Methods (II)

Dr. Mohsin Siddiq (NCP)

Dr. Waqas Masood (CIIT)

Dr. Abdul Rahman (NCP)

Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmad (NCP)

Quantum Mechanics

Dr. Rizwan Khalid (NUST)

Dr. Muhammad Junaid (NCP)

Dr. Shahin Iqbal (NCP)

Dr. Abid Mujtaba (CIIT)

Thermal Physics

Dr. Syed Khurshid Hasanain

(COMSTECH)

Dr. Naeem Shahid (NUST)

Dr. Mansoor-ur-Rahman (QAU)

Mr. Usman Hassan (NCP).

Summary of Academic Program:

Each working day consisted of 3 lectures each of 1½ hour duration, and one tutorial session of same duration.

Each subject was covered in 30 hours of lectures and tutorials during the three weeks entailing a total of 90 hours of academic work in the course.

The lecture contents were based on the standard texts used for the M.Sc. program at QAU and other local universities.

Assignments were given and feedback provided to participants.

Performance in each subject was assessed by conducting two tests of 45-minute duration each.

Success certificates were awarded to those participants who had obtained 50% marks in the course, on the aggregate.

Participation level:

The activity was adequately attended where the total number of registered participants was fifty (50), with twenty-eight (28) being male and twenty-two (22) females. Additionally, a number of students from QAU and NCP Faculty attended though not on a regular basis.

All the registered participants were teachers at the BS or M.Sc. level

All the out-station participants were provided boarding and lodging at NCP

The demographic distribution of participants was as under:

Punjab                                           24

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa                    10

Sindh                                             02

Balochistan                                    04

Azad Jammu and Kashmir            05

Federal Capital                              05

Total     50

Contact Person

Manager (Scientific Event Management)

Collaborations & Academic Activities Department (CAAD)

National Centre for Physics

QAU Campus, Shahdra Valley Road, Islamabad, Pakistan

Tel: +92-51-2077363, Fax: +92-51-2077242

Website: www.ncp.edu.pk