Dear supporters & visitors of MagnifiScience Centre

Director’s Note

‘It is now almost one year since The Dawood Foundation’s MagnifiScience Centre (MSC), Pakistan’s first contemporary and interactive science centre, opened its doors to the public. During this very exciting year, we have welcomed over 170,000 visitors, and I take this opportunity to convey my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all. MSC aims to promote an interest in scientific thinking, scientific literacy, and scientific methods through engagement with interactive exhibits and programmes. Our informal learning approach provides a hands-on learning experience and supports the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. MSC’s goal is to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to explore and engage with science in an interactive and fun way.

The buzzing atmosphere inside the Centre and the verdant Science Garden with its indigenous plants and trees, is truly an exciting addition to our city. As the first such Centre, we are constantly learning and improving. To ensure continued stimulating visitor experience, our inclusive team works hard to bring you new exhibits and provide an enriching platform for learning and dialogue, while programmes in the form of workshops and activities are designed to spark curiosity and invoke interest in science. MSC will be completing its one-year anniversary at the end of September 2022. We will be opening the first section of the Centre's 3rd and final floor, with some exciting new exhibits. and themes, very soon. I look forward to welcoming you there!

Pakistan Day

On 23rd March, the MSC celebrated Pakistan Day by showcasing Pakistani scientists and their achievements. Other activities included in-house musicians jamming to the beats of patriotic songs, an animated video screening of ‘Quaid say Baatein’, and a trivia testing the visitors’ knowledge about Pakistan.

A workshop giving hands-on experience of the craft of carpentry was also organised for young visitors

Summer Camp

During the summer holidays, the MSC held the “STEAM Champ Summer Camp” to offer scientific adventures to children of different age groups. It was a 5-week program with activities specifically curated to enhance young students' learning potential and growth. The participants engaged in a variety of scientific experiments and refined their fine motor skills through arts and crafts.

The newly built Jugar Ghar lab on the centre’s roof provided the perfect space for kids to explore a range of science concepts through experiments and become future science enthusiasts.

 

 

Junior Internship Program

A 5-week Junior Internship Program was launched to provide students with experiential learning in the fields of project management, research, design, and sustainability. The interns were divided into groups, under Team Leads. They were assigned project work ranging from Exhibit Development, Nature and Sustainability, Design and Graphics, IT, to Research and Development of Business Proposals. 68 Students between the ages of 12 and 18 got the opportunity to explore and apply their formal learning, supplemented by their “on the job learning.” They were also assigned STEAM Lab projects with the opportunity to work on a Fire Alarm System, Dark/Light system, Water Level indicator, and Solar Panel Battery charger.

During the internship period, students interacted with peers from different socio-economic backgrounds and learnt about team building and soft skills, while the projects gave them a chance to develop technical skills. At the end of their internship groups presented well-researched proposals about their business projects and gave demos of their science projects. The interns expressed general satisfaction with the program, with 98% saying they would recommend it to others

Independence Day Celebrations

To celebrate the creation of Pakistan, MSC held a series of exciting activities. Visitors were offered a photo opportunity with regional and cultural props, decorated bands and hats, and learned the art of tie and dye along with other STEAM activities. The Centre also inaugurated its Sky Café for visitors with food and music, and the evening culminated with fireworks. The café overlooks the Karachi skyline and the city port.

“Saaf Hawa Kay Liye: Improving Air Quality Together”

On 21st June a panel discussion titled “Saaf Hawa Kay Liye: Improving Air Quality Together” was held at the MagnifiScience Centre in partnership with the U.S. Consulate General in Karachi. The event opened with the U.S. Deputy Consul General Matt Ference, Karachi’s Administrator Murtaza Wahab, UK’s Deputy High Commissioner Mike Nithavrianakis, and Founder of the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative Abid Omar, sharing their views about the impact of poor air quality and how different stakeholders can play their part to improve it.

The panel discussion, which was moderated by Afia Salam, included panelists Dr. Zafar Fatmi, Nazish Shekha, Sophia Hasnain, and Kamran Khan, who discussed how different stakeholders can play their part in improving air quality. In his closing remarks, the U.S. Consul General Mark Stroh encouraged the audience to play a more prominent role in focusing on environmental challenges.

The U.S. Consulate General in Karachi and Linked Things each have donated an air quality sensor to the MagnifiScience Centre, which provides information about air quality to visitors. Air quality sensors help scientists and policy makers address the issue of pollution around the world. .

MagnifiSim

In collaboration with the Aga Khan University's (AKU) Centre for Innovation in Medical Education, MSC organized MagnifiSim–a series of four simulation-based workshops. On 12 March, the first workshop, ‘How to Restart the Heart’ was held, teaching participants the process of performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as well as operating an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) through simulations. ‘First Aid for Falls’ was the second session to learn how to administer first aid to someone who has collapsed. The third session on 26 March was about ‘Stop the Bleed’, and participants learnt ‘hands-on’ how to care for, dress, and manage injuries.

On 2 April at the ‘Making Zombies in Medicine’ workshop, participants learnt the art of moulage (i.e., special effects makeup) and how to apply it to create mock wounds and injuries in simulation. The workshop series are being repeated with new volunteers from the AKU - S.P.I.E.

 

Disability Inclusion Initiative

What’s next?

To commemorate our first year of operations, we’ll be hosting a number of exciting new activities and exhibits, coming soon. We are pleased to announce the inauguration of a section of our much-awaited third floor - Imagineers' .Engineering to dedicated, کارخانہ Also, on display on the third floor, there will be an exhibition featuring a close-up look at the fascinating city of Karachi. Additionally, there will be a Splash Zone and other activities for our visitors’ enjoyment and learning.Science Dome shows can also be experienced in English. This is possible either with your own mobile phone, headphones and an app or via rental devices.