A fitting send off for Shell Eco Marathon teams from Pakistan
Jun 10, 2010
The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Yousuf Raza Gilani, recently took time out from his busy schedule to support the student teams from Pakistan who are putting the final touches to their fuel-efficient vehicles and preparing to enter the Shell Eco Marathon Asia event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Speaking to more than twenty teams at the Shell Eco-Marathon Send-Off Ceremony in Islamabad, the Prime Minister, being a strong proponent of youth development, applauded Shell's efforts and stated that the "Shell Eco-Marathon is an excellent way to inspire the youth to work on cutting-edge solutions by inculcating in them the competitiveness and courage to outshine." He commended Shell for the long-term commitment to create a global platform where Pakistani students have the opportunity to compete with teams from around the world, and for promoting sustainable development in the next generation of engineers, scientists and business leaders.
Zaiviji Ismail, Chairman Shell Companies in Pakistan, kick-started the occasion by highlighting the progress Pakistan has made in this event. "We've come a long way since 2009", he stated, "from being the first country in the subcontinent to participate in the Shell Eco-Marathon, to our current standing where we have the most number of teams from Asia - I am proud to say that the support we have received from partners and sponsors has been tremendous."
The Prime Minister was joined by the Minister for Petroleum, Secretary Petroleum and the Dutch and Malaysian Ambassadors. There was a large turnout from media, academia and corporate sponsors as well, who were eager to be part of this exciting event and speak to the student teams.
With energy use in Pakistan expected to double by 2050, the Prime Minister promised the support of his government to explore new technologies, such as those used by the Shell Eco-Marathon teams, to help conserve energy resources in Pakistan.