Research work: AIOU holds second international conference on social sciences

Speakers call for promoting applied research to improve living standards of people

ISLAMABAD: Speakers at the second International conference on social sciences held at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) on Wednesday called for promoting applied research to help in improving the living standards of the people.

Addressing the inaugural session, they hoped that the academicians and researchers will help society in addressing socioeconomic problems through research-based innovation.

Minister of State for Education Baligur Rehman was the chief guest at the inaugural session. He lauded AIOU Vice Chancellor Dr Shahid Siddiqui and his team for giving due space to the country’s social problems in academic pursuits, hoping that the other educational institutions will follow suit.

In his welcome address, Dr Siddiqui highlighted the university’s special initiatives in the social sector during the last two years.

He especially mentioned educational facilities provided to jail inmates, visually-impaired persons, and girls. The other speakers who addressed the inaugural session included eminent social scientist Dr Ijaz Shahfi Gillani and AIOU Social Sciences Dean Dr Syed Abdul Siraj.

Baligur Rehman further said that the government will soon announce a national policy for improving social services in the educational sector.       He also listed the measures that the government was aggressively pursuing for empowering the Universities with more development fund and infrastructural support.

Dr Ejaz Shafi Gilani spoke in detail about pre-modern and post-modern era conflicts, as well as new tendencies and approaches in the educational sector. The conference during its two-day working sessions will deliberate upon various topics relating to research on post-modern times and post-modernisation and globalisation.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2016.