Three-day ‘Managing Megacities’ conference begins today

In order to understand the dynamics of a sprawling megacity like Karachi, scholars and researchers would be coming together at the three-day international conference ‘Managing Megacities’ to be held at HEJ Auditorium, University of Karachi from September 20 to September 23.

The discussions would not only explore the challenges faced by the administrators and dwellers in the megacities particularly Karachi but policy suggestions would also be devised for better management. Some of the speakers hailing from North and South America and Europe would also be participating in the conference organised by the Department of Public Administration, KU, and Shar School of Public Policy and Government, George Mason University, USA.

Speaking about the conference, Dean Faculty of Management and Administrative Sciences, KU, Professor Dr Khalid Iraqi said the recommendations given by the experts would be forwarded to the state authorities for implementation later. He termed political commitment and administrative ability of the government vital for dealing with majority of issues faced by Karachi and felt that this joint venture would prove to be very fruitful for students.

“It is a proud moment for KU to organise an international conference in order to recommend policies to coup up with the modern day challenges faced by the megacities of the world especially Karachi,” he said.

Meanwhile, foreign experts from urged to look for solutions rather instead of debating problems faced by the city and mentioned that problems couldn’t be solved overnight.

KU Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Muhammad Qaiser along with many others spoke about the conference and it was told that the Chief Minister, Murad Ali Shah, would be chairing concluding session of the conference.