HYDERABAD: The Covid-19 crisis has impacted countries and businesses around the world and is significantly restructuring societies as it continues to progress with emerging new sets of challenges.
These views were expressed by Sindh University VC Prof Fateh Muhammad Burfat in his presidential remarks at the National Webinar organized by Area Study Centre Far East and South East Asia, University of Sindh, Jamshoro on the theme 'Post Covid-19 Scenario: Challenges and Options for Pakistan".
The VC said while the fallout from the pandemic is amplifying familiar risks on one hand, it is also creating new ones on the other. Change at this grand, global scale and speed has lead to new openings for managing systemic challenges, and ways to build back better.
Prof Fateh Muhammad Burfat presided over the webinar wherein Ministry of Food Security and Research DG Prof Rafique Ahmed Chandio, Confucius Institute University of Karachi director Zhang Xiaoping, Pakistan-China Studies Centre Sargodha University director Prof Fazl-ur-Rehman, Area Study Centre for Europe University of Karachi director Prof Uzma Shujaat and National Instiute of Pakistan Studies Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad assistant professor Dr Saeed Ahmed Rid were the erudite panelists.
Citing a report published in a national daily, Dr Burfat further observed that the lockdown around the world with less cars on the road, less planes in the sky and slowing down of industrial activities had given a chance to the planet to breathe some fresh air and also heal.
"There seems to be so much haste to go back to the normal way of life. But we need to deconstruct the normal, which is infested with abnormalities. We need trying out new options to meet new challenges. The pandemic has led us and even the developed world to a kind of chaos, confusion and disaster with weaker economies facing worst situations. The disease has also hit higher education sector hard. The world researchers should undertake studies to help bail out all from this imbroglio," VC Dr. Burfat said.
The VC condemned Indian belligerent attitude to neighbouring states and slammed her worst atrocities in Kashmir as he congratulated Director SU-ASCFESEA Prof Mukesh Kumar Khatwani and his team.
Dr Rafique Ahmed Chandio termed the situation critical in the wake of monsoon flash-flood prospects likely to worsen pandemic scene, as he hailed smart lockdown declaring it a right decision set to offset turmoil, if followed strictly by the masses.
Zhang Xiaoping said China had been the first country to be hit by the Covid-19, yet first also to have beaten it. He said China was Pakistan's Pakistan's entire weather loyal friend, which is why it had generously assisted Pakistan in all ways - be it provision of experts, medicine, kits, training or any other support.
Dr Fazl-ur-Rehman said Pakistan should learn from Chinese experience adding that the pandemic had brought both losses and benefits. Losses to men, benefit to environment.
Dr Uzma Shujaat opined that the working class was the worst-hit section of society by the deadly virus, the abjectness of which had added to the already prevailing malady of unemployment. She stressed advance planning to best tackle post-ailment picture.
Dr Saeed Rid urged spotlight of government effort on resumption of school education, terming the Varsity virtual exchange of knowledge as satisfactory.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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