PESHAWAR  -  The Swiss Government’s vision­ary “Exploratory Mission to Pa­kistan in 2023” program has tak­en a significant leap forward with the joint organization of a ground­breaking workshop between Swiss and Pakistani Universities.

In a strategic move to foster re­search collaboration, the Earth­quake Engineering and Structural Dynamics Laboratory at Ecole Pol­ytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, the Depart­ment of Civil Engineering (CED) at the University of Engineering & Technology (UET), Peshawar, Pa­kistan Science Foundation (PSF), and Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS) have come together to host a transformative workshop ti­tled “Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics.” This under­scores the commitment to advanc­ing knowledge in seismic research and strengthening infrastructure resilience held at the Pakistan Academy of Sciences in Islamabad.

The workshop serves as a pivot­al initiative to connect research­ers from Switzerland with pro­spective partners in Pakistan. The overarching goal is to deepen both personal and institutional ties, fostering a collaborative spirit be­tween academic communities.

Researchers from Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, added a glob­al perspective to the workshop by presenting in person. Renowned speakers included Dr Igor Tomi? from EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), Switzer­land, and Dr Irshad Ahmad, Chair­man of the Civil Engineering De­partment at UET Peshawar, Prof. Dr Amjad Naseer from CED, UET Peshawar, and Prof. Dr. Muham­mad Usman from NUST Institute of Civil Engineering (NICE-SCEE).

The workshop, organized by the Civil Department at UET Peshawar in collaboration with EPFL, Swit­zerland, the Pakistan Science Foun­dation, the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, and the Pakistan Engi­neering Council, provided a plat­form for researchers from different universities in Pakistan to show­case their latest research findings.

This collaborative effort signifies a promising beginning for endur­ing partnerships between Swiss and Pakistani researchers. The or­ganizers express gratitude for the support received and are optimis­tic that this workshop will lead to further collaborative endeavours, enhancing the global landscape of earthquake engineering research.