KARACHI: Research distinguishes the academic identity of any institution and we have to provide a favourable learning environment in this regard. Societies that do not encourage research and development lose the ability of invention and they also fail to grow.

These views were expressed by acting Vice Chancellor University of Karachi Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi while talking to faculty members and heads of various departments of arts and social sciences faculty, says a statement issued on Tuesday.

There is no denying the usefulness of social sciences in the present age. Research in social sciences offers solutions to public problems, including our social, societal, and economic problems, for which the research trend should increase, adds the statement.

While appreciating the efforts of the dean faculty of arts and social sciences and the faculty members on the inclusion of three research journals of the faculty in the Y category, he said that the inclusion of research journals in the higher category is a testament to research activities in universities.

He observed that despite having high-quality standards at KU, our researchers are unable to present their research in the way they should due to some technical reasons, which makes their work less visible on the international scene.

He informed the participants that the administration is taking serious steps to solve this problem and hoped that it would produce better results in future.

Earlier, the Dean Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, KU, Professor Dr Nasreen Aslam Shah, while referring to the three research journals, informed the participants that every effort has been made to improve the index factor of the said journals.

She mentioned that research in social sciences should be meaningful as it plays a key role in solving social problems.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2020