With reference to the opinion piece entitled “Rethinking Art and Design Education in Pakistan” authored by Ms Sadia Pasha Kamran and published in these columns, I extend my strongest academic endorsement of the project “Decolonizing Art & Design Education in Pakistan: Linking Research, Practice & Policy”.
The piece persuasively argues for contextually engaged learning and robust systems of knowledge production as vital to building a stable and globally impactful society. It rightly highlights how colonial education systems intentionally undermined the rich intellectual heritage of the region — ranging from the Axial Age universities of Taxila and Nalanda to the spiritually and intellectually vibrant madrassahs and khanqahs of medieval India. This legacy persists in Pakistan today: art and design continue to be marginalised, framed through narrow Western or political/religious lenses rather than rooted in cultural realities and pedagogical innovation.
By advocating for plural, decolonised pedagogies that critique the dominance of Western models, it demands that art and design serve as media of investigation linking research, practice and policy. The proposed approach envisions art education as expansive — not just aesthetic or decorative, but deeply connected to critical thinking, imagination and real-world problem-solving.
As a science academic, I wish to underscore that this is not merely an “arts” concern. In facing 21st-century challenges namely climate resilience, digital innovation, health crises and sustainable development, we must integrate creative, culturally grounded modes of inquiry alongside technical expertise. A decolonised art and design curriculum equips Pakistan with the ethical imagination, cultural intelligence and interdisciplinary fluency essential for a holistic knowledge ecosystem.
Sadia (alias Bano) has catalysed a critical national conversation: Will art remain a neglected domain, or will it be embraced as a fundamental mode of knowledge, equivalent in importance to science and technology? The latter vision deserves unequivocal support. The proposed project stands as a transformative initiative that reclaims intellectual sovereignty and positions Pakistan for a creative, equitable and globally engaged future.
Dr Intikhab Ulfat
Karachi
