Dr Ijaz Shafi Gilani, head of social sciences faculty of the Islamic International University talked of the greed ruling the business magnates to the detriment of the communities at large. Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Mushahid Hussain Sayed opened the two days social sciences moot here on Saturday.
In his keynote address delivered at the inaugural session Dr Gilani urged the economic managers to restore balance between the interest of the community and their business practices. The conference would discuss actions to be taken by social scientists to strive for balance between studies of social science and the practical world. There should also be balance between private economic and public interests, he said with reference to the study of economics, which is included in social sciences studies.
Social sciences in Pakistan must also relate both to the best practices in meeting the needs of the state and time as well as search and ponder for maintaining continuity of past philosophies in this discipline, that kept changing in relation to future requirements.
We must adopt best practices relating to the needs of the state without discarding the search for more knowledge in this academic field. 'The quest for balance must go on,' the scholar said.
Mushahid Hussain Sayed was emphatic about creating linkages between the parliament and the academic world. Sensing this need the senator had initiated dialogue between professors of social studies and his parliamentary committee because of the need for interaction between practitioners of political science, international relations and parliamentarians.
The foreign relations standing committee chairman said the dialogue would help politicians and the teaching faculty to come out from the groove, and custom-based thinking.
Giving an example of India and the USA, who he said were progressive societies, yet suffering from mind blinkers. Indian historians tend to demonise the Quaid-e-Azam and the struggle for Pakistan. In Pakistan we have no negative feelings about Mahatma Gandhi and accept him as a great political personality. Similarly, in the USA the prevalent irrational bias against Islam and Muslims was not a true synthesis of the facts.
For the sake of maintaining relationship with the media and academicians Senator Mushahid announced his intention of joining the teaching faculty after retirement although, as he put it, 'there is no tradition in the country that generals, journalists and politicians retire. However, I will do that after five years when I reach the age of 60' he quipped.
The IIU president, Anwar Hussain Siddiqui warned the teaching faculty of the dismal low to which social sciences in Pakistan had fallen, and said the social scientists of Pakistan could not boast of significant research done in recent past. 'They might have done quantitative research but there is no quality in those written theses. Even social science associations had become inactive.'
The conference would discuss streams of psychology, political science, international relations, Islamic studies, sociology, history, philosophy and education. About 20 papers would be presented during the two-day conference.
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