Conference on social science research in May

Islamabad
The Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) Committee for Development of Social Sciences and Humanities in Pakistan (CDSSHP), in collaboration with the University of Peshawar, is organising the third Conference on Promotion of Social Science Research in Pakistani Universities involving social scientists from within and outside the country.
The theme of the conference, to be held in May this year, is ‘State and Society of Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities.’ The theme is influenced by an understanding that the socio-economic and political condition of Pakistan is precarious, and the state is distraught by weak democratic institutions, conservative socio-cultural ethos, exclusive and contending religious ideologies, increasing social stratification, infiltrating globalisation, identity related contestations, exploitative economic structures and agencies, vulnerable security structures and competing global power interests.
This understanding of the situation in Pakistan reflects the challenges as well as opportunities that require academic attention. There is a need to look deeper into this phenomenon and generate a debate that will not only help in developing a more nuanced understanding of the complexity of Pakistan but also help finding appropriate ways and means to confront these challenges.
The objectives of the conference are developing and promoting a multidisciplinary approach to study society in Pakistan, forging a common research agenda to meet contemporary social, economic, political, cultural and environmental challenges and identify solutions, examining latest methodological tools, conceptual paradigms and techniques to address the challenging research issues facing Pakistan.