Panel Discussion on Managing Infrastructure and Energy Corridors The panelists also shed light upon the economic, environmental, and political dimensions of CPEC. Importantly, panelists discussed the substance and content of current Pakistan-US relations and whether American interests in green energy and climate change factor into its foreign policy. Speakers included Professor Hong Stella Zhang, a China Public Policy Postdoctoral Fellow at the Ash Center of the Harvard Kennedy School; Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Director General of Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad and former Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States; Ms. Imrana Tiwana, Head of Initiative for Climate change and Environmental Sustainability at BNU; Dr. Syed Mohammad Ali, who is a non-Resident Faculty/Visiting Fellow at BNU, and teaches graduate courses at the Advanced Academic Programs at Johns Hopkins University; Ambassador Hassan Raza, a diplomat and former Special Secretary at Pakistan's Foreign Office; and Mr. Ghammaz Husnain, Assistant Professor at RHSA and Coordinator of CURE, the Centre for Urban and Rural Environments.
Panel Discussion: Mega Projects & Climate Change – BRI and B3W The event was moderated by Ghammaz H. Sandhu, Assistant Professor RHSA and Coordinator of CURE, the Centre for Urban and Rural Environments, with opening remarks by Dr. Yinghao He from the Institute of Belt and Road & Global Governance, Fudan University. The panelists included Michael Kugelman, Director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington D.C; Ambassador Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Head of the Initiative on Pakistan’s Place in the World at the BNU Centre for Policy Research (BCPR); Dr. Atif Bilal, Associate Professor at the University of Engineering and Technology Lahore as a specialist in Sustainable Urban Development and Urban Transport Planning; and M. Omar Farooq, Head of Department of RHSA. In her opening remarks, Dr. He set the tone for the discussion by stressing upon the urgency of the questions pertaining to climate change and called attention to the fact that climate change knows no borders and affects everyone, thus it requires cooperation and immediate attention. Two over-arching themes emerged from this discussion, which featured enthusiastic participation from the students and academics in the audience. One line of discussion focused on the effects of the BRI and B3W on climate change and the environment as both projects involve massive infrastructural development. The second line of discussion grappled with the political dimensions of the two mega-projects. Panelists addressed the larger question of the BRI and B3W as avenues of Chinese and American regional competition. Mr. Kugelman emphasized that the US was initially supportive of the BRI and hoped to collaborate with China and Pakistan in the project, however the US official perspective has changed to one of competition with Chinese involvement in Pakistan under the BRI. The audience also brought up crucial questions about climate justice, questioning whether it was fair that countries like Pakistan are among the most affected by climate change despite being minor contributors to global environmental degradation, and that Pakistan is dealing with the negative environmental consequences of the industrialization of developed countries such as the US. The event also featured the launch and distribution of the Policy Paper on “Setting Future Agenda of Pakistan-US Relations Around Trade, Investment and Climate Change,” written by Ambassador Mansoor Ahmad Khan at the BCPR under the American Studies Initiative (ASI). The copies of the Paper are also being dispatched to senior officials, leading think-tanks and senior journalists covering foreign policy subjects in print and electronic media.
Third Roundtable on Evolving Pakistan-US Dynamics Ambassador Mansoor Ahmad Khan, the Director of BCPR, provided a comprehensive briefing on the historical changes in Pakistan-US relations. He detailed the various phases of this relationship over the years, setting the stage for a forward-looking discussion. Following his presentation, Ambassador Khan opened the floor to a dynamic Q&A session, where students actively participated by posing insightful questions on topics such as the US's role in the War on Terror, foreign aid, education, and other pertinent issues. The session proved to be particularly fruitful as it also included the presentation of a recent policy paper by Ayeda Hamed, a Research Associate and Project Coordinator at the BCPR. This paper focused on strengthening Pakistan-US relations in the fields of information technology and the digital economy, offering fresh perspectives and recommendations for future collaboration. Overall, the discussion provided an enlightening overview of the complex and evolving relationship between Pakistan and the United States, enriching the student's understanding and encouraging a thoughtful exchange of ideas on the way forward for both nations.
BCPR Engages Students to Shape a Course on Pak-US Relations The session, held at BNU's Tarogil Campus, attracted a diverse group of students from various disciplines, eager to contribute to the shaping of the course outline. Facilitated by BCPR faculty, the discussion covered crucial topics such as historical context, diplomatic dynamics, economic ties, and security issues between Pakistan and the United States. Students actively engaged in the discourse, offering insights on current geopolitical trends, cultural exchanges, and the impact of bilateral relations on regional stability. Their feedback will play a pivotal role in tailoring the course content to address contemporary issues and enhance students' understanding of Pakistan-US relations. Dr. Nida Ali, the lead coordinator of the session, emphasized the importance of student input in developing a curriculum that is both academically rigorous and relevant to today's global landscape. She highlighted that incorporating student viewpoints ensures the course will resonate with the interests and educational needs of the student body. BNU aims to launch this course in the upcoming academic year, reflecting its ongoing dedication to innovative education and fostering a well-rounded understanding of international relations among its students. This session exemplifies BNU’s approach to integrating student feedback in academic planning, reinforcing its position as a leading institution in providing quality education tailored to the evolving demands of the global community.
