Is division, confinement, and hierarchy of knowledge the model to create and sustain an organization in the upcoming decades? No. Read the rest of this entry »
Learning by Sharing: A New Business Model for Pakistan
March 2, 2010
The recent article by Sohaib Khan has touched a very important subject. Let me start by saying that I do not disagree with the core idea of that piece which, if I am allowed to summarize in a sentence, would be that research in Pakistan needs to be relevant to the local problems, with young researchers mentored towards practical, solutions-oriented research. Read the rest of this entry »
Relevance of Research in Pakistan: Aligning Research Agendas with National Priorities
December 27, 2009
What benefit does research being done in Pakistani universities bring to the man on the street?
As the new breed of HEC-Funded PhD Scholars joins Pakistani universities, this is a pertinent question to ask. Producing PhDs, whether within Pakistan or abroad, is a significant investment, the cost of which is ultimately borne by the society. Can we assume that, in return, we will see tangible socio-economic benefits from their research, or should the society view the universities as ivory towers with little link to the real problems of Pakistan? After all, with 76% of population living at under $2 per day and 65% of women illiterate, can research spending on network routing protocols or multi-camera tracking algorithms be justified?
