May 01, 2007	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 13, 1428

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ISLAMABAD, April 30: President of Higher Education Commission (HEC)’s Council for Social Sciences Dr Ishrat Hussain on Monday said that the world was moving towards a knowledge-based economy and Pakistan would be left behind if teachers and students did not come up with empirical research in social sciences.

He was speaking at the concluding ceremony of the International Social Sciences Conference organised by the Faculty of Social Sciences, International Islamic University (IIUI), here on Monday.

Theme of the conference was ‘teaching of social sciences in Pakistan: the search of community and paradigm. The conference was funded by the HEC under title of ‘social science and social action: a search for balance’.

President IIUI Dr Anwar Hussain Siddiqui, faculty of social sciences dean Dr Tahir Hijazi and a large number of social scientists from across the country participated in the conference.

According to a press release, Dr Ishrat Hussain urged Pakistani social scientists to play a more active role in research and development and said that Pakistan was a fertile country for social sciences where all kinds of social problems existed and awaited attention of social scientists.

Issues like gender discrimination, poverty, balance among Islamic and global values, failure in implementation of economic, education, agriculture and a number of other reforms, extremism and a large number of other issues deserve serious attention and practical involvement of social scientists for empirical research.

There are many questions that cannot be answered by one discipline of social sciences. Coordinated research with inter-disciplinary approach is the need of the hour to answer questions of national importance with knowledge-based research.

Dr Ishart further stated that the government had made historic increase in education budget and Rs4.7 billion was available for research, scholarship, faculty development, infrastructure and libraries, etc., in the field of social sciences.

He urged teachers, researchers and students of social sciences to utilise funds available in abundance for development of social sciences.

I appeal social scientists of Pakistan to utilise the funds available at the HEC and make a visible difference in the teaching, research and working of social scientists, concluded Dr. Ishrat.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Anwar Hussain Siddiqui, President IIUI, appreciated the concern developing in the HEC for balancing importance of social and pure sciences and said that solid research and significant publications in the field of social sciences was imperative for taking the nation out of social evils.

“We in the International Islamic University believe in a balance among all branches of knowledge and we are committed to coordination and cooperation for the development of social sciences in Pakistan. Our bachelor level programmes are of four-year duration and we are in favour of making bachelor degree programme of four-year extensive study in all universities and colleges of Pakistan.”

Earlier, Dr Khurram Qadir, head, department of history, IIUI, while talking about the objectives of the conference said that development of a community of social scientists is one of the most important motives behind holding the conference. He thanked HEC for funding the event and giving an opportunity to the social scientists of Pakistan to get together and re-think their role in social development of the country.