Riphah University sets up institute to promote policy research

Islamabad

The Riphah International University in collaboration with Institute of Research Promotion (IRP) and South Asia Triple Helix Association (SATHA) has established Pakistan’s first Policy Institute Network-PPIN and held its first inaugural seminar here.

The network is established to assist policy institutes to move from fragmented approach to a collaborative thinking for policy advocacy, which can create an effective voice in highlighting and recommending policy options to the stakeholders.

Various institutes like ISS, IRS, CISS, IPS, PIDE, SDPI, IRP, PRIME, CPS, PIPS, LEAD, NSP, IRP and Planning Commission of Pakistan participated and declared as founding member of PPIN. The objective of the PPIN includes promoting expert ideas and analysis on the key economic, social and political challenges of our age, disseminating research excellence and relevant knowledge to a wider public audience through interactive dialogues, including interdisciplinary and scholarly collaboration, engaging and informing the public debate about the future of Pakistan and global progressive politics, reviewing the current government initiatives and monitoring of the public policies and their implementation strategies and delivering innovative policy frameworks for policy actors.

Speaking on the occasion, Riphah Vice Chancellor Prof Anis Ahmad, Ambassador Sawar Naqvi, CISS chairman Dr. Nabeel Goheer, member (governance) at the Planning Commission Dr. Abid Sherwani, UMT DG Zia Banday, Director ORIC PIDE Dr. Rashid Aftab, Director RIPP and representatives of other institutes said that public policy research, analysis and engagement of organisations through collective wisdom can play a vital role in the political and policy arenas at multiple levels in the country.

They said the expertise and experience attained by policy institutes in the last several decades could be utilised in the best national interest by providing non-partisan and impartial contribution to help government and understand and to make informed choices about issues of domestic and international concern.

The speakers said the PPIN could act as an effective and vibrant platform to not only to enhance research capabilities of the respective institutes but to pursue common agenda to uplift the socioeconomic fabric of Pakistan.

Among the key areas highlighted by them were constitutional framework, education and health, science and technology, climate change, economic affairs and challenges of globalisation saying which needs to be addressed in developing policy research and PPIN can act as catalyst to recommend government about policy formulation process and its effective implementation strategies.