MPhil scholars from NDU visit IPS
MPhil scholars from the department of Leadership and Management Studies, National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad, led by their teacher Dr Zia Ur Rehman, visited IPS on 16 May 2018 as part of an exposure visit. The purpose of this visit was to show the students the working model of the Institute and provide them information about the overall functions and processes of research, training, publishing and outreach at IPS.
The visiting MPhil scholars, who were studying a course of HR staffing, were briefed by Naufil Shahrukh, GM Operations at IPS, about the history of the Institute and the role of institutions like IPS in country’s policy arena. He also introduced the visitors with IPD LEAD (the learning, excellence and development program of IPS) as well as its ‘Brainstorming Research Ideas’ series of programs which is exclusively being run for young and emerging scholars under the ‘Indigenizing Policy Research in Pakistan’ Initiative.
The briefing was followed by an interactive session with DG-IPS Khalid Rahman who said that the contemporary research in social sciences generally follows one of the many western theorizations, which were evolved and developed in a certain socio-political, cultural and civilization environment. it was easy for the students to get influenced by the Western model while carrying out their work; this should however be kept in mind that the Western model was designed as per the requirements of their own society whereas we may find a completely different set of issues and challenges awaiting us in local settings which may demand being seen from a lens of native social, cultural and religious values.
Dr Zia-ur-Rahman endorsed the views presented by DG-IPS, stressing on the need of finding indigenous solutions for native problems. He was later presented with IPS’ momento by DG-IPS Khalid Rahman at the conclusion of the session.
