‘Covid19 – Threats and Opportunities for the Downside Persons and Nations’ (6th and 8th Session)

In a very short span of time,
the COVID-19 spread has affected the world
in many ways, severely exposing the shortcomings of prevailing health and
economic systems across the globe, while forcing the mankind into a lockdown
and consequently rethink and redefine their lifestyles. At the same time
however, it has also opened doors for new opportunities, exploiting which
mindfully could reap considerable dividends in a longer run.

The thoughts were expressed by Dr Ijaz Shafi Gilani,
chairman, Gallup Pakistan, while addressing a webinar talk titled ‘Threats and
Opportunities for the Downside Persons and Nations’. Spread across two sessions
which were held on April 23 and 28, 2020, the talk was held as part of IPS
webinar series ‘Covid-19: Global Challenges, National Response’. The sessions were
jointly chaired by former secretary finance and member of IPS National Academic
Council Dr Waqar Masood Khan and Executive President IPS Khalid Rahman, whereas
the discussants included Brig. (r) Said Nazir, sr. security analyst, Ambassador
(r) Tajammul Altaf, senior research associate at IPS, and Mirza Hamid Hasan,
former secretary, Water and Power and member IPS National Academic Council.

Gilani, in his keynote speech, pointed education,
economy, transportation, social lifestyles and collective religious practices
as some of the areas currently bearing the brunt of under-developed global
health systems.

Contemplating over the aftermaths of Coronavirus
outbreak, the speaker presented two threats and three opportunities before the
participants. The threats, according to the speaker, were already being
experienced in the health and economic sectors, whereas the opportunities, he
pointed, were lying in the education, work and social domains.

Elaborating his viewpoint, the speaker said that the
recent surveys have shown that most of the academics are utilizing their
quarantine time in research and studies using advanced technologies. Speaking
of the working aspect, Gilani said that the current situation was making people
explore new work areas as well as new means and methods to carry their work
out, and it is likely that these new trends will continue to be followed in
some years of come.

As far as the social aspect was concerned, the scholar
said that the time we would normally consume in outdoor activities in the
pre-Covid19 world, is now being spent with the families, which is a good sign
as it will strengthen the basic societal structure going forward.

The discussion that followed Gilani’s speech underscored
that a major power shift in the global arena can also be expected in wake of
the pandemic, whereas with the increased use of technology in nearly all facets
of life will also change the nature for warfare where more threats could be
posed in form of cyber and biological incursions.