Seminar at department of International Relations

“Research methodology and its teaching are quintessential for a vibrant intellectual culture; it is research that instills the real impetus of growth in a society.” These progressive views were expressed by Prof. Dr.. Moonis-Chairman, Department of I.R., University of Karachi- in a conference on the State of International Relations in Pakistan organized by the Department of International Relations in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission and Hanns Seidel Foundation, Islamabad. He further added that the culture of research requires a peculiar openness of mind, which can entertain critical and crucial issues, which are confronted by the people, government and the state in a society.
Dr. Maqsood Nuri-Senior Research Fellow, Islamabad Policy Research Institute- said in his paper on I.R. methodology that the present day research trends do not cater to the needs of the developing countries; the shifts in paradigms are the real requirement.
Prof. Dr. Rukhsana Qamber-Director, Area Study Centre for America, Islamabad- said that area study centers provide profound understanding of the politics and other realities of a region. She further added that her Centre has been consistently pursuing research activities, which are excavating the most significant features of political and economic life of the people living in the Americas.
Prof. Dr. Naveed A. Tahir-Director, Area Study Centre for Europe, KU- said that her Centre has been involved in several academic and research activities over a considerable period of time. The Centre, she continue, has had great collaboration with several governments in Europe. She added that the scope of European Studies is fast increasing because of the miraculous economic integration taking place in Europe which could serve as a model for replication in South Asia.
Prof. Dr. Azmat Hayat Khan-Director, Area Study Centre for Central Asia, University of Peshawar- said that his Centre is equipped with modern expertise for understanding regional politics of a particular region. He was of the view that findings of these regional centers could be highly useful for government and policy-makers. He further said that Pakistan in the present context cannot afford to remain unconcerned to the developments going on in Central Asia because America is now militarily present in the Central Asian region and Pakistan would have to strike a balance between its inclination towards china and the US.
Dr. Shaheen Akhtar- Senior Research Analyst, the Institute of Regional Studies, Islamabad- highlighted the achievements of IRS. She said that the Institute has been regularly publishing books, journals, articles and monographs.  She added that these research institutes could contribute immensely towards the consolidation of foreign policy objectives and available mechanisms for implementing them.
Mr. Ghulam Murtaza Khoso-Lecturer, Area Study Centre for South East Asia and Far East, Sindh University, Jamshoro- said that the increasing importance of China is forcing countries to establish greater economic ties with the Chinese. He said that Pakistan and China have been great friends for a long time and this friendship requires that there should be renewed contacts as far as trade and finance are concerned. The penultimate session was on the institutionalization of the discipline of IR in Pakistani Universities.
Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed of Dhaka University said that social capital, trust, civil society and research are the four hallmarks that manifest the living nature of any society. He suggested the creation of an International Studies Association of South Asia along with an International Relations Assembly. This association in his view could immensely tie the institutions in a powerful network.
Dr.. Adnan Sarwar of the Peshawar University said that a systematically systemic institution is needed for developing a strong relationship between and among the departments of IR in Pakistan.
Dr. Zulfiqar Chughtai of the Balochistan University talked of the institutionalized re-programming of IR networking. He said that scientific patterns are easily applicable for greater performance and output.
Mr. Sarfaraz Korejo of Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur considered IR to be a leading discipline of the social sciences. He said that IR associations are the best means of connecting IR scholars and students. Dr. Naeem Ahmed, Assistant Professor at the Department of IR, KU presented his idea of a simulation exercise to be held at the end of 2008 in the Department of International Relations, KU. This simulation would include IR students from all the public universities of Pakistan; this will provide them a chance to interact and enrich themselves intellectually. The simulation exercise, he added, was basically an exercise in which students adopt different roles of state and non-state actors to present the on-going issues, conflicts and trends in regional politics. According to him, this is a great teaching device, which can alter the stereotypical understanding of dynamics of regional politics in South Asia.
Prof. Dr. Talat Wizarat, former Chairperson, IR Department while presiding the recommendations session said that the discipline of I.R. is fast emerging to be a very powerful field of study, therefore, an adequate mechanism of collaboration and research is needed. She said that student participation in networking would be highly useful.

In the concluding session- Prof. Dr. Moonis Ahmar- expressed the idea that the second IR conference will be held in Islamabad and the third in Peshawar. Moreover, IR networking will produce Pakistan Journal of International Relations because without it there is no recognition possible at the regional and global level. Besides this, there should be a Pakistan International Studies Association (PISA), which would provide a platform to teachers and students to discuss and share their expertise and cooperation about the field of International relations. An IR database, he continued, will be immensely helpful in concretizing the above-mentioned goals. In the end, shields were presented to the distinguished participants and all sessions were followed by a lively question-answer session.

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