MAGAZINE Jan-March 2021.Cdr
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January-March 2021 Pakistan’sPakistan’s ITIT ProsPros CapableCapable ofof ContributingContributing toto NationalNational Development:Development: PresidentPresident AlviAlvi 10 Seerat Counters Hate Speech through Deciisiive Actiion 2 HEC Teams Visit Universities for Performance Evaluation 9 Another 75 Pakistanis to Pursue PhD in Queen Mary University of London 12 HEC,, NPB Collllaborate for Enhanciing Academiia’’s Rolle iin Polliice Reforms 15 8 HEC’s New PhD & Undergraduate Policies to Produce Quality Graduates content 13 16 Years of HEC-USAID Need-based News & Views (January-March 2021) Scholarship Programme ‘Women Empowerment Part of HEC’s 14 Agenda’ News & Views is published after every 15 NTC to Formulate Recommendations for National Education Policy three months. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without 16 NAHE holds Roundtable Discussions on prior written permission of the publisher. Faculty Development 17 NAHE Capacity Enhancement Session The views expressed by authors in the for IPFP Fellows articles are their sole responsibility and 18 NAHE Organises E-Office Training for not of HEC. The Commission would like Employees to thank all the institutions and 19 Riphah holds 5th Int’l Conference on individuals who contributed information Islamic Business and photographs for this Magazine. 20 COMSATS Develop Incinerator to Handle Hospital Waste 20 COMSATS, CMYK Sign MoU for Collaborative Research 21 SSUET to Support HASWA in Producing Low-Cost Prosthetic Limbs Aayesha Ikram Editor 21 Indus University Webinar on Assessment in Online Education Graphic Designer Raja Ahmad Nadeem 22 Ziauddin University Develops 3D Virtual Dissection Table Syed Muhammad Ittifaq Reporter 22 Steps, Policies Needed to Safeguard Global Environmental Commons Higher Education Commission, Pakistan HEC-UN Webinar Series Seerat Counters Hate Speech through Decisive Action Expressions of Extremists Don’t Define any Nation: President Arif Alvi Education to End Hate Speech, Intolerance, Bigotry Rising around the World: Chairman Education Key to Promote Inclusivity in Multi-faith Societies: Executive Director Need for Building Resilience against Online, Offline Hate Speech: UN Special Adviser The expressions of extremists Education Commission (HEC), inclusive, and empathetic anywhere in the world must Pakistan. The introductory communities in Pakistan not be taken as a specimen or webinars continued for three through tools like active and an impression to define or days to cover six sessions on continuous intersectional understand a particular topics like Seerat of the last participations, dialogue, and nation. Prophet Hadhrat Muhammad, collaboration. It was linked to peace be upon him (PBUH), the implementation of the Plan This was stated by President of minorities, and the role of of Action for religious leaders Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi while youth in combating hate and actors to prevent inaugurating the series of speech. incitement to violence that webinars entitled, “Nurturing could lead to atrocity crimes Peaceful, Respectful and Twenty four speakers from and the UN Strategy and Plan Inclusive Societies in Pakistan: three continents, i.e., Asia, of Action on Hate Speech. Seerat Counters Hate Speech America, and Europe, including through Decisive Action”, representatives of minorities It also aimed to contribute to jointly organised by the United and youth, expressed their achieving the Sustainable Nations Office on Genocide views during the sessions. Development Goals (SDGs), in Prevention and the particular SDG16 on building Responsibility to Protect The series of webinars aimed peaceful, inclusive and just (OSAPG) and the Higher at encouraging peaceful, societies. 2 Dr. Alvi said it was incumbent Minorities have Equal Stake in & Love for Pakistan: Speakers on all of us to present the true The minorities of Pakistan love the country as much as the Muslim principles of Islam that counter majority does, and they have the equal stake in the vision of all kinds of religious, ethnic Pakistan, said the speakers during the second day of a series of and gender hatred, webinars entitled, “Nurturing Peaceful, Respectful and Inclusive marginalisation, discrimination, Societies in Pakistan: Seerat Counters Hate Speech through and inequality. He said that Decisive Action”. Arabs had a patriarchal society wherein slavery was common, Representatives of different Pakistani minorities, including yet the Last Prophet Hadhrat Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Kalashas, Parsi and Baha’i Muhammad (PBUH) communities addressed the webinars, jointly organised by the encouraged people to break Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan and the United the chains of slavery. Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect. He maintained that the Last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Dr. Amineh Hoti, former Project Director Seerat Chairs, HEC, taught and emphasised on moderated the webinars. She stressed the need for promoting forgiveness, putting empathy and respect for each other. She said the majority must compensation a secondary and include and respect the minorities, adding that the majority and vengeance a last resort in case minorities must joint hands to fight hate speech and all the of any confrontation. negative and discriminative attitudes and behaviours to marginalise specific groups of people. She emphasised measures He said that the Last Prophet to ensure justice and inclusivity in the society of Pakistan. Hadhrat Muhammad (PBUH) laid emphasis on adopting a Dr. Simona Cruciani, Political Affairs Officer at the UN Office on just approach in financial Genocide Prevention, shared the definition of hate speech, saying that there was no international legal definition of hate speech, affairs to set up an and the characterization of what is ‘hateful’ is controversial and economically just society. He disputed. mentioned that the father of the Pakistani nation, In the context of the UN document, the UN Strategy and Plan of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was Action on Hate Speech, the term hate speech is understood as also a staunch advocate of any kind of communication in speech, writing or behaviour, that unity and peaceful attacks or uses pejorative or discriminatory language with coexistence. reference to a person or a group on the basis of who they are, in other words, based on their religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, The President said that making colour, descent, gender or other identity factor. Pakistan a model of the State of Madinah, as envisioned by This is often rooted in, and generates intolerance and hatred and, the Prime Minister of Pakistan in certain contexts, can be demeaning and divisive. She reiterated Imran Khan, was the final goal. that the UN was committed to countering hate speech globally with the cooperation of its partners. She said that the UN He underlined that lack of Secretary-General was very much concerned about the ‘tsunami communication generated of hate speech’, especially the online trends of spreading hatred phobias among individuals, during the pandemic. states, and nations, yet cooperative and peaceful She said that the UN was struggling to foster an environment of discussions, as enshrined in the tolerance towards diversity, social cohesion, and dialogue wherein UN Charter, were the key to freedom of opinion and human rights were honoured. The UN address these phobias. He was closely working with the victim groups to cope with 3 stated that hate speech should stigmatization, discrimination, have no standing in Pakistan. and targeting of specific “We need to make sure that groups, she revealed. the laws isolating communities must be condemned.” In his remarks, Dr. Safdar Ali Shah said that Pakistan was a Highlighting the role of media, land of diversity, as its people he stressed the need for accepted, respected, and judiciously handling the embraced the existence of ‘weapons of misinformation’ diverse religious and ethnic and communicating to the communities. “The soil of world that Pakistan was a Pakistan inherited diversity.” peaceful country, and the Muslims around the world He shed light on the ancient were peaceful. civilizations homed by the land of Pakistan, including Mehr In his remarks, Chairman HEC Garh, Indus Valley Civilization, Tariq Banuri stressed the need and Gandhara Civilization. for promoting education to give an end to hate speech, He said that Sikhism flourished intolerance, and bigotry rising in the presence of Islam and around the world. He said that Hinduism in the united India, the waves of extremism could while four relics of Buddha be stemmed by adopting the were also found in the soil of true teachings of the Last Pakistan. Prophet (PBUH). Regarding Taxila, a significant archaeological city in Punjab, Mentioning the Prime he said that the city witnessed Minister’s vision about making many cultures prospering and expanding. He said that Sufi saints Pakistan the State of Madinah, of the land promoted the philosophy of humanism. he quoted him as saying that: “If people know the true Addressing the webinar, Mr. Isphanyar Bhandara, a former history of Islam, they would Member of Parliament, who represented the Parsi community of not only recognise it, but will Pakistan, said that the minorities of Pakistan decided at the time also embrace it.” of independence in 1947 to become Pakistanis by choice. He said that the minorities had equal stake in Pakistan and they equally The Chairman underlined that loved the country. He said that Muhammad Ali Jinnah, firmly the teachings of Holy Prophet believed