Speakers at the conference entitled "Rethinking & Reimagining - The Capabilities of Pakistan" explored possibilities of rethinking and reimagining the capabilities of Pakistan with the objective of highlighting the importance of learning and development on a personal level as part of organisational strategy. The conference was organised by Pakistan Society for Training and Development (PSTD) in connection with its 50 years celebrations held at local hotel here on Wednesday.
In his presentation, Dr Atta ur Rehman - Patron in chief of ICCBS and former federal minister for Science and Technology, said that only knowledge based economies would drive the countries on the path of development. "Since the natural resources are diminishing, Pakistan must invest enormously in higher education to establish knowledge based economy," he said. In future, he said, knowledge would be the major factor to run the economies.
He urged the government to invest in the education sector in order to steer the country out of persisting economic crises. He said that students should be motivated to explore the wonders of the science and technology. The conference was attended by industry leaders as well as organizational development professionals, trainers and consultants who came together to share their valuable experience and knowledge, and create a platform to connect and grow.
The conference explored their theme through various panel discussions and keynote speakers. The panel discussion with senior consultant, Carnelian Kamran Rizvi, Senator Nisar Memon and Adjunct professor Zaffar A Khan took a look at the legacy of training in Pakistan and how it has changed over the years and where we can go from the point that we stand on today.
Following panel discussion, Lars Kure Juul Neilson from Denmark gave an enlightening talk on leadership and the correlation with talent management. Senior Executive Vice President Habib Bank Limited, Faiq Sadi presented a case study with regard to Change and Transformation. Other speakers who addressed the packed house included Rumman Ahmed who spoke about Learning Innovation and Ramiz Allawalla who gave a video presentation on People Transformation. Among the more memorable sessions of the conference was one by Dr Atta ur Rehman entitled Knowledge and Innovation: Imperatives for Socio Economic Development.
Throughout the conference the speakers and the panellists stressed the importance of rethinking the way we look at the past and reimagining the future of Pakistan through leadership and proper talent management. Dr Moiz Hussain talked about the need for understanding Human Psychology and how the brain adapts to learning methods, which was followed by the changing face of the Millenial workplace by Rubina Jamal, CEO Insolito Associates.
Another panel discussion delved into possible challenges and solutions for learning and how best to navigate them while avoiding the pitfalls that may come with the challenges. The panelists were Sumrah Ibadat (team leader Learning and Organisational Development UEP), Ahmed Noman (divisional head, learning and development division, Bank Alfalah), Humaira Ahmad (talent acquisition and learning manager, GSK) and Mehdi Hasnain (CEO Tohfay.com) Earlier, welcome address was given by Saeed Siddiqui, Vice President PSTD, which was followed by a video montage, which took a look at the rich 50-year history of Pakistan Society for Training and Development.