Speakers call for bringing learning and practice at global standards
PESHAWAR
Panelists here on Tuesday called for bringing learning and practice at global standards to compete with the rest of the world.
They were addressing during second day of the 35th AGM and Conference of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE), on “Opportunities to Excel: Now & the Future”, hosted by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), in collaboration with the Institute of Management Sciences (IMSciences).
The Conference is being sponsored by the World Bank Group, CPEC Center of Excellence, the Bank of Punjab, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), Gul Ahmed Textile Mills Limited, National Productivity Organization (NPO) Pakistan, HBL, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), Saif Group of Companies, Pakistan Microfinance Investment Company (PMIC), Engro, and the Bank of Khyber.
The agenda for the second day included the prestigious Quaid-i-Azam lecture, delivered by Dr. Arshad Ahmed, VC LUMS, the Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Lecture, delivered by Mahboob Mehmood, CEO, Knowledge Platform, a panel discussion on “Opportunities to Excel”, Special Invited Lecture delivered by Hans Timmer, Regional Chief Economist, the World Bank, and the Mahbub Ul Haq Lecture, delivered virtually by Prof. Dani Rodrik of the Harvard University. Besides these lectures and the panel discussion, the agenda also included technical sessions in which research papers on the topics of productivity, entrepreneurship, and sludge; political economy; and aspirations, opportunities, and labor market were presented.
Dr. Arshad Ahmed, VC LUMS, began the Quaid-i-Azam Lecture by thanking Dr. Nadeem Ul Haque, VC PIDE, for bringing together a wonderful gathering, which centers around the theme of opportunity to excel.
In order to meet with global excellence, the speakers said that since we are competing at the global level, learning and practice have to be up to the global standards. It implies that one needs to be aware of what is happening at the global level.
Later, delivering the Sir Syed Ahmed Khan lecture, Mahboob Mahmood, CEO, Knowledge Platform, said that technology is progressing very rapidly and becoming central in our lives.
The panel discussion on “Opportunities to Excel” was chaired by Dr. Jehanzeb Khan, Deputy Chairperson, the Planning Commission. The panelists included Yahya Akhunzada, Secretary Education, KP, Jehan Ara, Katalyst Lab, Shimail Daud, Former President Rawalpindi CCI, Adnan Jalil, Former President, Small CCI Peshawar, and Asif Hanif, the Bank of Khyber.
