Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower, whereas creativity could be a pass time or hobby, but the best creativity is a result of a lot of hard work, dedication, and inspiration. One and a half years ago, when I kick-started the planning of digital science, mainly an Astronomy magazine, I got an overwhelming response from science communities and astronomers societies. Still, the project got delayed multiple times due to the inconsistent attitude of our youth and Astronomers societies.
Finally, in February 2019, on the eve of Valentine’s Day, we launched Scientia Pakistan magazine, thematically based on “love for science.” A much-needed initiative in Pakistan and for one year I, along with my team, mostly University students, tried our best to provide equal opportunities to all the skilled science writers and to those who are willing to pursue an off-beat career in science journalism.
At times our stories caught the attention of international media and science communities like SETI Institute, Gulf News, and Khaleej Times, but we have had a hard time to convince our own media in Pakistan that science could be a genre in mainstream media. At its best, science writing is an emerging field of journalism worldwide that needs more than a desire to become a science writer. At present, we have been communication obstacles in Pakistan, the eroding truths in media, and misinformation in social media, as we have witnessed in ongoing Wuhan-virus-outbreak.
The situation is equally alarming as we may have such epidemic outbreaks or sort of natural disaster anytime in our country as well. We need skilled and super-intended science journalists and more science magazines as well as a science channel that broadcasts science news with all their authenticity.
We are striving for our dream of the first Pakistani science channel, and we believe that an idea never turns as reality so quickly, it takes sweat, determination, and a lot of hard work, and we have trust in our instinct and pursuit.
On the 1st anniversary, we are launching our special edition“Year in Review” in PDF format with a hope that “as long as there is hope, there is joy in living. I want to say a humble thank you to Yawar Hussain, Maham Maqsood, Abdullah Khan, Aniqa Mazhar, Mubaris Bashir, and other team members who volunteered their precious time and energy to this magazine.
Enjoy your deal!
Saadeqa Khan CEO/EIC Scientia Pakistan
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Saadeqa Khan is the founder, CEO, & Editor-in-Chief of Scientia Pakistan. She’s a member of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network (Second Cohort) and NASW. Saadeqa is a fellow of NPF Washington, The Falling Walls Foundation, and the Science Journalism Forum. Saadeqa has won several international journalism grants and awards for her reports.