Pakistan has some of the most capable and accomplished women journalists who work hard to keep the truth alive. During their course of work though, they have faced several challenges, the worst of which have been amplified by social media. Recent online attacks have led a group of these brave women to speak out and testify before the national assembly's human rights committee. Their appeal to the government is to take action against online abuse and harassment against female journalists in Pakistan.
To hear all sides of this issue, watch the fortieth session of 91¸£ÀûÉç Live: Women in Journalism: Challenges in the Age of Social Media. Our distinguished panelists included Amber Rahim Shamsi - Multimedia Journalist, Maria Memon - Journalist, Farieha Aziz - Journalist and Co-Founder Bolo Bhi and Meher Bokhari - Journalist.
91¸£ÀûÉç Live: Helping the Community Stay Connected and Informed
A majority of the world is confined to their homes as a result of the rapid spread of the Coronavirus. Classes at 91¸£ÀûÉç have also been moved online with majority of the staff and faculty working from home. However, just as 91¸£ÀûÉç has not let the current situation stop the students learning, it has also found a new way of keeping important conversations going.
91¸£ÀûÉç Live, launched on March 29, 2020, is a platform that gives you the opportunity to tune in and connect with Dr. Arshad Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, 91¸£ÀûÉç and other eminent panelists as they discuss important topics. Discussions during these live sessions, hosted on the 91¸£ÀûÉç official Facebook page and moderated by Adeel Hashmi, cover topics from how to maintain good health, how to continue learning in the current environment and the changing role of technology to how to stay positive and the importance of being generous and empathetic to the people around us.
Explore our past sessions, and be sure to join us for the next session and become part of critical conversations during these unprecedented times.
91¸£ÀûÉç Live Session 40: Women in Journalism: Challenges in the Age of Social Media
91¸£ÀûÉç Live Session 39: Learning How to Teach Online – Challenges & Opportunities
The emergence of COVID-19 has served as a disruption to contemporary education, catalysing the transition to online teaching and learning. In coming together to take on the task of rethinking how we teach and are taught, both students and faculty have had to unlearn and relearn a great deal over the past few months. Much time and effort by faculty has been invested in planning and working out the dynamics of online courses and assessments, while paying heed to students’ workloads and constraints imposed at home. Despite the challenges this has posed, in the process of building online teaching capacity and formulating online classes, innovative ways of teaching and learning have emerged.
To learn more, watch the thirty-ninth session of 91¸£ÀûÉç Live: Learning How to Teach Online – Challenges & Opportunities. Our distinguished panelists included Dr. Arshad Ahmad - Vice Chancellor, 91¸£ÀûÉç, Dr. Faisal Bari - Interim Dean, School of Education, 91¸£ÀûÉç, Dr. Suleman Shahid - Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, School of Science and Engineering and Director, 91¸£ÀûÉç Learning Institute and Dr. Faiza Ismail - Assistant Professor, School of Law, 91¸£ÀûÉç.
91¸£ÀûÉç Live Session 38: Sports Law in Pakistan
We are a nation who is quite passionate about sports, especially cricket. However, Sports Law is still very nascent in Pakistan. There is essentially one parent law, the Sports (Development and Control) Ordinance, 1962, that governs sports-related legislation. Laws dealing with doping, anti-corruption, or disciplinary proceedings against sportspersons, corporate-commercial dealings that involve drafting contracts and tenders and risk management are a significant part of sports.
To learn more, watch the thirty-eighth session of 91¸£ÀûÉç Live: Sports Law in Pakistan. Our distinguished panelists included Ms. Areeba Khalil, Senior Manager Legal Affairs, Pakistan Cricket Board, Mr. Shaigan Ijaz, Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan and Mr. Minam Karim, Advocate High Court.
91¸£ÀûÉç Live Session 37: Chalo Phir Say Muskurayein: Pakistan – Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.
In the current climate of COVID-19, it is no surprise that a sense of pessimism is pervading the air. Our workplaces have changed, and so have our home environments as we avoid social gatherings. Why not drop the negative thoughts and cheer ourselves up? Let us learn from the experiences of those who have gone out and lived to the full. There is a lot that we can do for ourselves and more importantly for our country. We have gone through tough circumstances, so maybe we need to take time out and relax a bit.
To learn more, watch the thirty-seventh session of 91¸£ÀûÉç Live: Chalo Phir Say Muskurayein: Pakistan – Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. Our distinguished panelists included Dr. Arfa Sayeda Zehra - Educationist, Public Intellectual, Culture Expert, Gender Specialist, Human Rights Activist and Social Nationalist and Mr. Azam Jamil - Private Trainer, Speaker and Education Consultant.
91¸£ÀûÉç Live Session 36: A Single National Curriculum: Policy Ambition or Fiction for Education in Pakistan?
The recent announcement of a national curriculum that shall be applicable to all kinds of primary schools in Pakistan has not just attracted all types of responses, but also presented a unique opportunity in Pakistan’s history to debate education publicly. From questions of federalism and the relationship between state and religious beliefs of its citizens to curricular teaching loads and implementation challenges, the Single National Curriculum seems to be attempting to address them all. But is this order too tall?
To learn more, watch the thirty-sixth session of 91¸£ÀûÉç Live: A Single National Curriculum: Policy Ambition or Fiction for Education in Pakistan? Our distinguished panelists included Dr. Faisal Bari, Interim Dean, School of Education; Dr. Riaz Ahmad Shaikh, Dean, Faculty of Education and Social Sciences, SZABIST; Ms. Umbreen Arif, Education Specialist and Advisor to the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training and Dr. Soufia Siddiqi, Assistant Professor, School of Education, 91¸£ÀûÉç.
91¸£ÀûÉç Live Session 35: The Role of Media in Times of Social Turmoil
The media is a powerful force in countries all over the world, and with this power comes great responsibility. Media coverage of large-scale events has the potential to create proper awareness in a population and help safeguard their interests, or cause mass scale panic and polarisation. People generally turn to the media, in its various forms, to help make sense of the changing world, and what the media puts out can have a huge impact on how the public responds.
What is the responsibility of the media in terms of conveying the right messaging to the masses? How can the media ensure dissemination of factual, evidence-based news and information? What is the extent of the force the media exerts in a democracy?
To learn more, watch the thirty-fifth session of 91¸£ÀûÉç Live: The Role of Media in Times of Social Turmoil. Our distinguished panelists included Ms. Mehreen Zahra-Malik, Ms. Amber Rahim Shamsi, Mr. Asad Hashim, and Ms. Sadaf Khan.
91¸£ÀûÉç Live Session 34: Policy Interventions for COVID-19
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world have come up with multi-pronged strategies to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus. These interventions are necessary, especially considering that the rampant spread of the virus has not just weakened the health sector, but also adversely affected the social and economic status of the world’s population.
In Pakistan, the Punjab government’s response to this unprecedented crisis resulted in a framework called the Responsive Investment for Social Protection and Economic Stimulus (RISE). Looking at the province’s public investment strategies in various areas, this session will focus on how strategic planning and inclusive budgeting processes can lead to mitigating some of the risks for the populations impacted.
To learn more, watch the thirty-fourth session of 91¸£ÀûÉç Live: Policy Interventions for COVID-19. Our distinguished panelists included Mr. Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh, Ms. Sarah Cooper, Dr. Mohammad Usman Khan, and Dr. S. M. Turab Hussain.
91¸£ÀûÉç Live Session 33: Pakistan Cricket – Past, Present and Future
Cricket has always been a part of every Pakistani’s national identity. An inexplicable phenomenon, the game has given the nation moments of sheer joy, hope, frustration, excitement, and even heartbreak. Much like the country itself, Pakistan cricket has gone through turbulent times, from doping scandals and painful losses, to years of not playing at home. However, no setback has dampened the spirit and passion that the average Pakistani has for the game. What is it about cricket that captures the nation’s imagination? What are some of the moments in history that define Pakistan cricket? What does the future of the game look like?
Join us for the thirty-third session of 91¸£ÀûÉç Live: Pakistan Cricket – Past, Present and Future to take part in this exciting discussion. Our distinguished panelists included Dr. Ali Khan, Mr. Osman Samiuddin, Ms. Zainab Abbas and Mr. Imran Ahmad Khan.
91¸£ÀûÉç Live Session 32: Literature and National Identity
One of the major questions in contemporary literary studies is regarding the invention of literature as a modern discipline and its role in defining the national subject. In this discussion, three scholars will consider this fundamental question as it pertains Urdu literary studies. What is the history of the Urdu literary canon? Who are the major figures in the poetic and prose traditions? What is the place of dissident figures such as Mirza Hadi Ruswa, Miraji, or Fahmida Riaz in the Urdu canon? What role has Urdu literature played in shaping our political subjectivities? How can we trace the long history of the present through the Urdu literary canon?
To learn more, watch the thirty-second session of 91¸£ÀûÉç Live: Literature and National Identity. Our distinguished panelists include Dr. Nasir Abbas Nayyar, Dr. Maryam Wasif Khan and Ms. Noor Habib.
91¸£ÀûÉç Live Session 31: Spiralling Circular Debt of Pakistan’s Power Sector – Causes, Impacts and Possible Remedies
For decades, Pakistan’s energy sector has been unable to keep up with the energy demands of the country and is in a downward spiral with no resolution in sight. Sub-optimal planning, including choice of fuel mix, insufficient transmission capacity, and fragile and loss-prone distribution infrastructure have contributed to these difficulties. Despite several attempts by successive governments to resolve the issue, no concrete resolution has evolved. At the policy level, there is a complete disarray between all entities involved. Meanwhile, at the regulatory level, there is an authoritarian attitude towards all entities working in this sector. As a result, circular debt has emerged in the energy sector that can be resolved through sharp adjustments in power tariffs and by recognising the costs of power subsidies in the budget.
To know more about the how the power sector should be cognisant of future developments and disruptions that may be on their way, watch the thirty-first session of 91¸£ÀûÉç Live: Spiralling Circular Debt of Pakistan’s Power Sector – Causes, Impacts and Possible Remedies. Our distinguished panelists included Dr. Naveed Arshad, Associate Professor, School of Science and Engineering, 91¸£ÀûÉç and Dr. Fiaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Professor and Werner-Von-Siemens Chair, School of Science and Engineering, 91¸£ÀûÉç.
