To Late Professor Abdus Salam, periodic bringing together of scientists from developing countries for discussions on their research work was a way of breaking their isolation from the advanced centers of learning. In particular, of forestalling brain drain to the advanced countries. This was the guiding spirit behind the suggestion for holding a summer college.

The idea of organizing a college at Nathiagali one of the hill resorts near Islamabad on regular basis came from the distinguished Noble Laureate, the Late Professor Abdus Salam. He proposed in 1974 that an international forum for scientists from developing countries be organized to break their isolation and provide them with an opportunity to interact with their peers from advanced countries.

When Professor Abdus Salam made his proposal to Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission to organize a Summer College where experts from the industrialized nations and learners from the developing countries get together for a couple of weeks once a year to exchange views of current interest in Physics and allied sciences. Mr. Munir Ahmed Khan, the then Chairman PAEC, not only accepted the idea, but put his heart into it. He took personal interest to make the first college in 1976 a great success, which set a lasting tradition for the times to come.

Professor Riazuddin, the Member Technical PAEC, was in-charge of organizing the college as co-director with Professor Abdus Salam.

The seed sown by Professor Abdus Salam has now blossomed into a lasting institution for bringing together the scientists from advanced countries and the developing nations to discuss topics at the frontiers of knowledge with particular reference to the development needs of the Third World countries. The college has now evolved into an institution and has become a prestigious event in the scientific calendar of this part of the world. This college is perhaps the only one of its kind to be regularly organized in a developing country and, each year, covers a wide range of topics and their applications to the contemporary needs of the society.

Successive chairmen of PAEC Dr. Ishfaq Ahmad, Mr. Parvez Butt, Mr. Anwar Ali and now Dr. Ansar Parvez provided full support for holding of INSCs.