Post on 18-Apr-2018
DEVELOPMENT STUDIES- A YEAR IN
VIEW (JAN-DEC 2017)
PAKISTAN INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
Department of Development Studies began its academic operations in 2011, as part of
PIDE University, Islamabad. Over the course of eight years it has developed many avenues for
students to gain a knowledge base of sharp analytical skills and research practices. As the Head
of the Department I, along with my team, have worked hard to venture into academic territories
that can be conducive to students and for their learning.
In the forthcoming text a glimpse of the departmental activities and initiatives for the year
2017 are presented for the viewers.
Dr. Zulfiqar Ali,
Head of Department
2 | P a g e
Development Studies Seminar Series
Dr. Asim Sajjad Akhtar gave an
illuminating talk on Changing
Global Political Economy
French feminist Ms. Lucie Azema
talked the students and department
faculty through a comparative
view of sexual minorities and their
status as these exist in Europe and
Asia.
In the month of May 2017, Dr.
Fouzia Saeed, executive director
from Lok Virsa gave a talk on
cultural heritage and its
articulation with development.
In September 2017, Mr. Zeeshan
Hashim from PRIME presented a
few excerpts from his book which
is based on Liberal Capitalism in
Pakistan.
Mr. Khalil Ahmed Tetlay, from
Rural Support Network Program
gave a talk on Social
Mobilization.
Mr. Taha Jamil from French
Higher Education talked students
through Education in France and
last seminar by
Dr. Maooda Bano from Oxford
University was on Shifting
Frontiers of Development Studies.
3 | P a g e
Development Studies Interactive Sessions
Dr. Fouzia Saeed from Lok
Virsa discussed with Dr.
Zulfiqar about academic
coalitions between her
organization and the
Department of Development
Studies.
Dr. Anita Weiss, Oregon
University, USA discussed
with DS MPhil students about
their research, and future
academic prospects.
Mr. Rolf Pasch, Country
Director, FES and Sidra
Saeed, Programme
Coordinator, FES discussed
the possibilities of futuristic
academic coalitions with the
department Head, Dr. Zulfiqar
Ali.
4 | P a g e
Development Studies Student Activities
Mr. Khawar Mehmood (MPhil
DS, 2016) in collaboration with
Women Through Film organized
one day workshop on "The
Climate Backp-hacker". The
purpose of the workshop was to
educate our students on
environment and climate based
entrepreneurship and business
modeling. Maxime Jullian from
United Kingdom conducted the
workshop alongside Madeeha
Raza, Director, Women
Through Film.
DS MPhil (Evening Batch)
screened their documentaries
which were based on different
development and social issues
(gender, food insecurity, early
childhood education, politics,
and tourism.
Mr. Muddasir Shah (MPhil DS,
2016) in collaboration with
DELL organized a workshop in
which students were provided
free training on CV writing,
career building and interview
skills. Those who owned DELL
laptops were provided free
services and information for
DELL laptop loan schemes from
Meezan Bank were available.
5 | P a g e
Ms. Fareena Iqbal (MPhil DS
2016) presented paper titled Sati
Practice in Sindh: A Case Study
of Tharparkar in 1st International
Conference on Sindh Studies,
Karachi, Pakistan, November
2017.
Mr. Asif Javed (MPhil DS 2015)
presented paper titled Religious
Commodification: A Case Study
of Shrine of Bari Imam,
Islamabad in 3rd International
Sufi Conference, Karachi,
Pakistan, May 2017.
Mr. Saifuddin (MPhil DS 2016)
presented paper titled Threats to
Kalash Culture in International
Conference on Archaeological
Heritage of Pakistan, Lahore,
Pakistan, October 2017.
6 | P a g e
Development Studies Policy Briefs and Views
Eleven DS Policy Briefs were
published from January-December
2017 based on the themes of
Ethnographies and Communities,
and Development as Discourse.
Four DS Views were published from
January-December 2017 based on the
themes of Mental Health and Academia,
Importance of Libraries, Honor Killings,
Social Capital, and Housing Societies.
7 | P a g e
Thesis Defense and Proposal Defense
Twenty Six DS MPhil students defended
their research from January 2017 to
December 2017.
Nine DS MPhil students defended their
research from January 2017 to December 2017.
8 | P a g e
Development Studies Faculty
Dr. Zulfiqar Ali (Department Head)
Paper Presentations
1. Religion, Kinship and Politics in Pakistan: The Case of District Jhang, International
Academic Conference on Social Sciences, University of Barcelona, July 2017, Spain
2. Patterns of identity/Carvings and Wusum on Camels in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia,
Saudi Archaeology Convention, November 2017, Saudi Arabia
3. Identity of Udasis in Modern Sindh, 1st International Conference on Sindh Studies,
Karachi, Pakistan, November 2017.
4. Interface Between Asceticism and Sufism: Reflections on Syncretic Traditions in
Sindh, 3rd International Sufi Conference, Karachi, May 2017
5. Dhamal- Transcends Religious Boundaries, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar Conference at
Sehwan, May 2017, Karachi, Pakistan.
6. Lesser Known Heritage of Sindh, Conference on Barriers in Promoting Cultural
Tourism at Lok Virsa, May 2017, Islamabad, Pakistan.
9 | P a g e
7. Sufism: Legacies of Assimilation in our Times, Panelist, Islamabad Literature Festival,
April 2017, Islamabad, Pakistan.
8. Heritage and Social Mobilisation in Post-conflict Reality, Session Moderator,
Islamabad Literature Festival, April 2017, Islamabad, Pakistan
9. Indus Valley: Evolution of Languages and Cultures, Pakistan Mother Languages
Literature Festivals, February 2017, Islamabad, Pakistan
10. UNESCO workshop on Preservation and Promotion of Kalasha Culture, Islamabad,
Pakistan, January 2017, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Research Project
Survey and Documentation of Buddhist Rock Carvings in Sindh-Kohistan under HEC thematic
research grant 2017. Dr. Ali conducted fieldwork for his project from August 2017 till mid-
January 2018.
Conference Proceedings
1. The Issue of the Conservation of the Picture Wall of Lahore Fort, Pakistan published
in World Heritage Watch Report 2017.
2. Religion, Kinship and Politics in Pakistan: The Case of District Jhang published in
International Academic Conference on Social Sciences, Conference Proceedings, July
2017.
Books
1. Memorial Stones Tharparkar, published by Endowment Fund Trust for Preservation of
the Heritage of Sindh, February 2017.
2. Studies in Kalhora History: Economy and Architecture, published by Sindh Books
Karachi, April 2017.
Newspaper Article
1. Syncretic Sadh Belo published in The Friday Times, December 2017
2. Sindh’s Cattle-stealing Heroes and Satis, The Friday Times, June 2017.
Courses Taught (DS MPhil)
1. Anthropology and Development
2. Research Methods
3. Globalization and Development
4. Tourism and Development
Thesis Supervision
10 students defended their theses under Dr. Zulfiqar’s supervision.
10 | P a g e
Dr. Huma Haque
Courses Taught (DS MPhil)
Anthropology and Development
Research Methods
Gender and Development
Power, Governance & Development
Thesis Supervision
4 students defended their theses under Dr.
Huma’s supervision.
Dr. Muhammad Jehangir Khan
Courses Taught (DS MPhil)
Development Economics
Econometrics and Quantitative
Techniques for Development
Research.
Thesis Supervision
4 students defended their theses under Dr.
Jehangir’s supervision
11 | P a g e
Mr. Muhammad Aqeel Anwar
Courses Taught (DS MSc)
Globalization and Development
Food Insecurity
Community Driven Development
Social Change and Development
Research Project
On behalf of Socio-Economic division at the
Centre of Excellence-CPEC (CoE-CPEC), Mr.
Anwar‟s research proposal titled Job Creation
in CPEC through Power Generation
Component- An Exploratory Study under the
Competitive Policy Research Grant-2017
(Phase 1) was accepted.
Mr. Fida Muhammad Khan
Courses Taught (DS MSc)
Introduction to Economics
Colonial History and Development
Religion and Development
12 | P a g e
Mr. Fahd Zulfiqar
Courses Taught (DS MSc)
Introduction to Development Studies
Research Methods
Cultural Economics
Development in Post-colonial Era
Theories of Development Studies
Publication
Issues on Explaining Legal Recognition of
Marital Rape in Islam in Pakistan, published
in International Journal of Civic and Political
Studies, Vol. 12, Issue. 1. Common Ground
Publishing.
Conference Presentations
1. Narrative Analyses of Female
Representation in Contemporary Sufi Music
of Indian Feature Films in 3rd International
Sufi Conference, Karachi, Pakistan, May 2017.
2. On decontextualizing archaeology in
Cinema: A Visual and Socio-Semiotic
Analysis of Indian Feature Film, Mohenjo
Daro, ICHAP, Lahore, Pakistan, October 2017.