Bahawalpur - A two-day international conference on Social Sciences and Humanities has started under the auspices of the Pakistan Studies Department, the Islamia University of Bahawalpur. The inaugural session was presided over by Engr. Prof. Dr. Athar Mahboob Vice Chancellor, the Islamia University of Bahawalpur while Prof. Dr. Mansoor Akbar Kundi, Vice Chancellor Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan was the special guest on the occasion.
The conference is attended by delegates from USA, Germany, UK, Italy, Malaysia and Pakistan. Prof. Dr. Athar Mahboob, Vice Chancellor, the Islamia University of Bahawalpur, in his address, said that social science experts would come together on a single platform to discuss various issues and challenges and look for solutions. He said that Islamia University of Bahawalpur was established in accordance with the vision of Nawab of Bahawalpur which today has become one of the largest universities in the country in terms of departments, students and faculty.
The university is playing an important role in social and economic development by ensuring high standards in teaching and research. Vice Chancellor Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan Prof. Dr. Mansoor Akbar Kundi appreciated the convening of the conference on the subject of social sciences and humanities and stressed that domestic and foreign delegates from various fields were present on the occasion will benefit from extensive experience and observation.
The focal person of the conference Prof. Dr. Aftab Hussain Gillani thanked the Vice Chancellor Engr. Prof. Dr. Athar Mahboob for his special interest in organizing the conference and appreciated the presence of domestic and foreign delegates.
Dean Faculty of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Rubina Bhatti said that a series of conferences on social sciences is being held at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur which is good news for researchers in this field. Prof. Dr. Iqbal Akhtar Professor of Florida International University and Prof. Dr. Aslam Syed delivered a keynote address on research in social sciences.
Member Syndicate Prof. Hameed Raza Siddiqui said that Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Athar Mahboob has set an excellent example in the field of higher education by ensuring the extraordinary development of the university and the arrival of experts from all over the world at the Islamia University of Bahawalpur. There is evidence that the university is making significant strides in teaching and research. Five sessions were held on the first day of the conference.
The first session on Federalism in Pakistan was chaired by Prof. Dr. Javed Saliana. The second session was chaired by Prof. Dr. Ismat Naz on the topic of Electoral Politics in Pakistan. The third session was chaired by Prof. Dr. Fakhrul Islam on the topic of different ethnic, religious and political classes in Pakistan. In the fourth session, the situation of minorities in South Asia was discussed and the session was chaired by Prof. Dr. Mahboob Hussain, Chairman, Department of Political Science, Punjab University, Lahore. The conference was attended by Prof. Dr. Shazia Anjum, Dean, Faculty of Sciences, Prof. Dr. Sheikh Shafiq ur Rehman, Dean, Faculty of Islamic Learning, Prof. Dr. Akhtar Ali, Dean, Faculty of Education, Prof. Dr. Moazzam Jameel, Registrar and M.Phil and Ph.D Scholars in large numbers.