The College of Economic and Social Development (CESD) at the Institute of Business Management (IoBM) organized the annual international conference on Social Sciences (AICSS) 2019 on the theme of 'Geo-Political, Economic, Educational and Psycho-Social Challenges and Opportunities in the 21st Century' at its campus on January 28-29 according to IoBM Public Affairs Section.
Invited at the inaugural session were local, regional, national and international luminaries. IoBM Chancellor Bashir Janmohammad, Chairman and Director Westbury Group of Companies, Dalda Foods (Pvt) Limited and Mapak Edible Oils (Pvt) was the chief guest.
IoBM president Talib Karim addressed the conference and introduced the institution. The welcome address was given by IoBM CESD Dean Dr Shahida Wizarat; Vote of Thanks was delivered by ex-ambassador Syed Hassan Habib, Senior Fellow, Center for Area and Policy Studies (CAPS), IoBM. The academic partner of AICSS 2019 was Dr Abdul Salam Lodhi, Director, University College of Zhob, Baluchistan University of Information Technology, Engineering, and Management Sciences (BUITEMS).
Guest speakers included Prof Dr Stephany Griffith Jones, Institute of Development Studies (IDS), England and Columbia University, USA; Prof Dr Natalia Zamaraeva, Institute of Oriental Studies, Moscow, Russia; Ambassador Munir Akram, Pakistan's permanent representative at the UN; Dr Muhammad Saleem, Policy Analyst, State Bank of Pakistan; Dr Khalid Rehman, DG, Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad; Ambassador Hassan Javed, Director, Chinese Studies Center, NUST, Islamabad; Dr Mehtab S Karim, Vice Chancellor, Malir University of Science and Technology; Dr Manzoor Ahmed, Dean and Faculty of Management and Social Sciences, Lasbela University; Dr Riaz Sheikh, Dean, Social Sciences, SZABIST, Karachi; Dr Aneela Amber Malik, HoD, Psychology Department, University of Karachi; Engr M A Jabbar, former president SITE Association; Dr Lubna Naz, Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Karachi; Dr Shazia Ghani, former head of Prime Minister's Performance Delivery Unit (PMPDU).
Bashir Janmohammad highlighted key challenges facing Pakistan including population growth, lack of education and scarce healthcare facilities. Talib S Karim said IoBM focuses on social sciences and liberal arts apart from business management and allied disciplines, that's why AICSS will prove to be a step forward and hoped that AICSS will become an annual conference hosted by IoBM.
Earlier in her speech Dr Shahida Wizarat identified major national and international challenges to be pondered at the conference like scarcity of potable and irrigation water, sectarian, ethnic, ideological conflicts and militarization, flight of investment from less developed and developing countries and depletion of world energy supplies adversely affecting GDP growth rates. -PR