Humanities and Social Sciences: Get some answers this Sunday

The lectures at LUMS range from writing nonfiction to Afghanistan post 2014.

LAHORE:

Ever asked yourself which history defines Pakistan (Indian, Islamic or South Asian) or maybe wonder about how the art of Lollywood posters evolved? Perhaps it was a question about Rumi’s poetry?

If yes, then head to the Lahore University of Management Sciences (Lums) this Sunday for answers. The university is holding 14 lectures – The Weekend of Humanities and Social Sciences – to promote disciplines like art, sociology, history, literature, politics and anthropology.

“In Pakistan there is a perception that one would only pursue these disciplines if one is short of options… [It is] not something you would pursue to make [a living],” says Bilal Tanweer, the organiser of the event. An instructor of creative writing at Lums, Tanweer believes people dismiss the disciplines as ‘fluff’. This, he says, further points towards the need for convincing people about the prospects that these disciplines have to offer. “There is some really exciting work being done in these areas by bright and passionate people,” he said, adding that they wanted to provide a platform where people could engage with “brilliant minds”.

Tanweer aims to make the event a regular feature in the coming years. He also hopes that other educational institutes in Lahore, including the Punjab University, the Forman Christian College and the Government College University, would follow suit.

The day-long event, which is open to the public and is free-of-charge, will start at 10:30 am and go on till 4:30 pm.

“The [topics being covered] are urgent questions which [hold great] appeal for the people and concern them,” says co-organiser Sameen Mohsin, a political science teacher at the university. Parents often discourage their children from taking up these subjects, she notes, but it is “high time” that such attitudes are changed. “A lot of our students who have majored in these disciplines have very successful professional careers. These stories need to be told,” she says.

There has already been a slight change in perceptions, says Mohsin. ‘While there is a degree of hesitance to pursue these disciplines, people are more receptive to these ideas than they were before,” she says. A Lums alumnus, Mohsin recalls there were far fewer students enrolled in humanities and social sciences when she was in college. “[That] the Pakistani society is [starting to] think beyond engineering and medicine is encouraging,” says Mohsin. She hoped that there will be a “decent turnout” for the event on Sunday.

One can register for the event online on various social networking websites. So far, 100 registrations have been received but the organisers hope the event will draw in about 200 people.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2013.