Role and importance of think tanks in modern-day policymaking arena highlighted

A delegation of participants from the 38^th Human Resource Development Program (HRDP), organized by Dawah Academy for the officers of the armed forces of Pakistan, visited IPS on May 23, 2023. The visit was aimed at introducing the professionals to the operation and role of think tanks in the policymaking environment of a country.

The visiting delegation, headed by Dr Hafiz Muhammad Zaheer, lecturer, Dawah Academy, was addressed by Ambassador (r) Syed Abrar Hussain, vice chairman, IPS, Dr Fakhr-ul-Islam, director of research and academic outreach at the Institute, and Syed Nadeem Farhat, senior research fellow at IPS.

The delegates were introduced to IPS’s background, areas of research, contributions to different issues, and strong institutional relationships and linkages with several top-tier universities and educational institutions in Pakistan to facilitate research on a variety of policy-oriented topics.

Responding to questions raised by officers regarding the importance of think tanks in national decision-making, the speakers stated that think tanks and research organizations not only contribute to the body of knowledge but also promote scholarly inquiry into a multitude of policy-oriented themes.

It was also informed that the think tanks like IPS have continuous and long-run impacts on government policy development as they keep extending their findings and recommendations to the concerned quarters. The research organizations of Pakistan also play a significant role at the ground level by enhancing awareness and fostering a culture of policy-oriented thinking among civilians, bureaucracy, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

At the end of the session, Dr Hafiz Zaheer thanked IPS and its team for an impactful interaction with the officers and for hosting them.