IPS, UMT join hands to augment research and academic activities

IPS and University of Management and Technology (UMT), Lahore, entered into a formal collaboration agreement on January 5, 2023 after penning down a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in a ceremony held in Lahore.

The MoU was signed by Khalid Rahman, chairman, IPS, and Dr Asif Raza, rector, UMT, with an interest to explore the areas of cooperation in research and publication of projects as well as to conduct capacity-building activities.

The signing ceremony was attended by Naufil Shahrukh, GM Operations, IPS, Dr Hassan Shakeel Shah, chairperson, Department of Islamic Thought & Civilization (DITC), Dr Muhammad Shoaib Pervez, chairperson, Department of Political Science and International Relations (DPSIR), Dr Fatima Sajjad, associate professor and director, Center for Critical Peace Studies (CCPS), and Dr Aisha Azhar, director, School of Governance and Society (SGS).

The collaboration aims to provide a framework for the two institutions to cooperate and coordinate with each other in the areas of mutual interest including collaborative research and publishing activities in diversified research projects, joint workshops, seminars, conferences, and similar events on diversified subjects, reciprocal exchanges of faculty and students to promote the sharing of knowledge and expertise, exchange of academic information and outcomes, and holding programs and meetings for reflective and shared learning, among others. Moreover, under the MoU, IPS aims to provide internships to the students of CCPS, DPSIR, SGS, and DITC in different disciplines.

Both organizations also aim to initiate a discourse with other national and international research organizations, as well as international peacekeeping and peacebuilding organizations/institutions, by holding and attending symposia, workshops, seminars, webinars, conferences, discussions, and dialogues.