President for empathy as he witnesses Model United Nations at IBA

KARACHI: The Public Speaking Society (PSS) at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi, hosted President Alvi at a panel discussion titled ‘Eastbound - A Talk for Culture Fostering Future’ at Model United Nations IBA Karachi (MUNIK XII).

Inaugurated in 2008, MUNIK is an entirely student-run, non-profit event which provides a platform for young minds to debate on diverse issues from across the globe.

The panel of speakers at the event included President Alvi, IBA Executive Director Dr S Akbar Zaidi, Associate Prof Dr Huma Baqai, and academic Nadia Sayeed. The aim of the session was to discuss the Eastern political landscape and the role played by forums such as MUNIK to encourage discourse about pressing current issues.

Dr Zaidi delivered a welcome address to the president and said that the IBA promoted inclusivity and diversity and students at the institute were given admission on merit. He explained that 25 per cent of the IBA students received some form of financial assistance.

He also apprised the audience about the IBA’s journey from a business school to a multi-disciplinary institute with 5,000 students and around 150 faculty members. Dr Zaidi stressed the importance of dialogue and discourse for peaceful settlements of disputes.

Dr Baqai discussed the current conflicts in the world, particularly the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. She urged the audience to recognise the importance and relevance of international organisations and the role of conferences such as MUNIK XII to teach students crucial skills including negotiations, diplomacy and conflict resolution. She concluded her speech remarking that whereas competition was good, cooperation was better.

President Alvi commended the IBA and the event and spoke in detail on the importance of communication in today’s world. He said one should always remain empathetic towards other’s experiences. Communication was the window to one’s mind, he remarked.

On current political events, he expressed his sympathy for the people of Ukraine, expressing Pakistan’s stance of engaging in dialogue and striving for a peaceful solution to resolve the conflict.

To punctuate his statement, he shared glimpses of historical peace movements with the audience. The president also shared that historically and in the modern world, people of colour had always been treated differently to their western counterparts, citing events such as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

President Alvi provoked the audience, especially the young delegates, to think over the role of international organisations and how they could be improved by learning crucial lessons from history. He accentuated the need for morality and humanity to remain at the forefront during international conflicts.