Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari on Thursday said International Relations (IR) is a dynamic and cross cutting discipline that needs to be predictive in nature, while keeping in view the academic transformation to the pace of fast moving world
Islamabad (Pakistan Point News / Online - 12th December, 2019) Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari on Thursday said International Relations (IR) is a dynamic and cross cutting discipline that needs to be predictive in nature, while keeping in view the academic transformation to the pace of fast moving world.She was addressing a day-long conference organized by School of Politics and International Relations (SPIR), Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad in connection with its 100 years of International Relations as academic discipline.
Dr Mazari insisted that compartmentalization of international relations might make it restrictive, but there is an adherent plurality in the discipline, and it has to be taken into account parallel to foreign policies of the world actors.The human rights minister reiterated the changing discourses in the security arena and how to use them in the foreign policy. She also talked about the current issues prevalent in Jammu and Kashmir and how Pakistan can utilize theoretical positions from the current and newly emerging academia.
Dr Olena Bordilovska, cultural attach at the Ukrainian embassy Islamabad, talked about prospects of combining theory and practice. She emphasized on the importance of culture, religion, mentality, social behavior, people and society in the discipline of IR.Dr Olena urged that foreign policy should be made the instrument of long term and far sighted strategic vision and diplomatic calculus. Dr Muhammad Waseem from LUMS constructed the idea of having a local global society', building on English School of thought.
The term he coined is Glocal', a local-global perspective of IR, suggesting a revision in the West-centric approaches to IR where he urged to review the West against the rest.QAU Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ali appreciated the efforts of SPIR in organizing the conference. He further reiterated the resolve of QAU being the flagbearer institution of taking initiatives in academics. SPIR Director Dr Nazir Hussain briefed the participants of the conference about the completion of 100 years of the IR discipline.
Dr Nazir said SPIR has produced 37 PhDs, including 25 in the last three years.He said every year 20 M.Phil students are passed out, adding that the first batch of 180 students of BS-IR and BS-Political Science have been passed out in July this year. The SPIR director also informed the participants about various initiatives SPIR is taking in uplifting the academic discipline.In the working sessions, conceptual conundrum in IR discipline as a whole and those being faced by Pakistan were discussed by a set of vibrant panelists who advocated the need for critically evaluating the discipline.
The conference was attended by academic practitioners and a large number of research scholars.Director Strategic Planning Dr Moeed Yousaf, Dr Hussain Shaheed Soherwordi from Peshawar University, Dr Tughral Yamin from NUST, Dr Naeem Ahmad from University of Karachi, Dr Adnan Sarwar Khan from NUML, Dr Amna Mahmood from IIUI, Dr Rabia Akhtar from UOL, Dr Zafar Nawaz Jaspal and Dr Farhan Siddiqi from QAU were in attendance.
