KARACHI: Promotion of social sciences at university level urged
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Sept 15: Speakers at a national seminar on social sciences at the University of Karachi on Friday stressed the need for promotion of social sciences disciplines at university level, which would largely lead to development of social policies encompassing humanism.
They said despite availability of a number of departments pertaining to social sciences, quality of output remained not up to mark. There was a dearth of debate and discussion culture and development of new ideas based on research, they observed.
The seminar on “Teaching of Social Sciences at the universities” was inaugurated by the vice-chancellor of the University of Karachi, Dr Pirzada Qasim. The Arts faculty of the university is holding the seminar which will continue on Saturday as well in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission, Islamabad.
The key-note speaker Prof Manzoor Ahmad, the rector of International Islamic University, Islamabad, expressed his dissatisfaction over the prevailing state of affairs pertaining to social science subjects and termed them “pathetic,” obviously due to the fact, according to him, there was a dearth of systematic efforts for faculty development.
After every five years new national plan filled with measures and promises, including that pertaining to flow of funds, is issued, but the very fact is that many of the observations and commitments remain unfulfilled, he noted.
He said migration of intellectuals and scholars from educational institutions of the country in the wake of partition of the sub-continent had also affected the state of education in the existing part of Pakistan, while on the other hand no serious efforts were made to utilize the wisdom whatsoever was available in the field of education and knowledge.
Moreover, we have been unable to know the development or thought process taking places in the West or analyze our needs in term of results, he added, saying the country was badly suffering an intellectual deficit.
About promotion of social sciences, Dr Manzoor, who remained associated with KU for almost 40 years in different capacities, said the universities lost the sight of importance of social science and humanities.
Social science provides the backbone or base for bringing changes in society, even for creating a sense for the happening of science and technology development, he emphasized.
He was of the view that people in Pakistan were living under a coercive paradigm under which values did not come from within people, while on the other hand our education system was a system of regimentation or quantification.
He suggested for developing interdisciplinary policy paper in social sciences, involving various departments which could play as store house of knowledge.
Dr Pirzada Qasim said unless there was a change in mindset of individuals and policy-makers, a process of change could not take place.
He said the overall attitude of ignoring subjects of social sciences and importance of undertaking researches in that particular field was shocking.
The dean of KU arts faculty, Dr Shamsuddin, stated that social sciences and social policy included issues like health, education, social security and welfare, children and women, multiculturalism, ethics and human rights, terrorism, equal opportunity for all, equitable distribution of income and wealth besides the provision of basic needs.
Dr Khalida Ghaus of KU IR department, presented the objectives of the seminar, saying the subject of seminar and themes of different sessions were all important and timely for promoting of social sciences. Prof M Sajidin, Director Quality Enhancement Cell at KU also spoke.
