ISLAMABAD, Jul 03 (APP):The two-day International Conference on ‘Iran-Pakistan Academic-Cul
tural Dialogue’ concluded on Wednesday with a resolve from heads of academia from both sides to collaborate in multiple areas and exploit academic and cul
tural linkages as a bridge to bring the two nations closer.
The conference, aimed at advancing academic and cul
tural bonds for sustainable Iran-Pakistan relations, was jointly organised by Higher Education Commission (HEC), and Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU).
It hosted a delegation of Vice Chancellors of six Iranian universities, headed by Dr Seyed Abolhassan Navab, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees University of Religions and Denominations Qom.
Addressing the closing ceremony as chief guest, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed said that Pakistan and Iran enjoy deep religious, lingual and cul
tural relations.
Iran was the first country to recognise Pakistan after the independence in 1947. The Senator paid homage to the resilience of the Iranian nation it demonstrated through the Iranian Islamic revolution and admired their love for knowledge, self-sufficiency, and hospitality towards the Pakistani nation.
He congratulated HEC, AIOU and the Iranian side on the successful conclusion of the conference and hoped that the academic engagements on the two sides will further strengthen the relations.
In his remarks, Chairman HEC, Dr Mukhtar Ahmed emphasized that the academic-cul
tural dialogue was a need of the hour.
Felicitating the participants on the completion of the conference, he emphasized the importance of actionable outcomes. He said the intellectual discussions would lead to practical steps, adding that a road-map for practical measures and a mechanism to check progress will be devised so as to materialize the conference outcomes in letter and spirit.
Dr Mukhtar Ahmed highlighted the shared issues and constraints between Pakistan and Iran, urging collaboration to resolve them “since no external party will address these challenges”.
He stressed the need to work for humanity, and called for steps to end the trust deficit through open-heartedness and by eliminating differences. He lauded the efforts of HEC and AIOU teams for organizing the conference. In his address, the head of Iranian delegates, Dr Seyed Abolhassan Navab, expressed his gratitude for the hospitality of HEC and AIOU. He hoped that the academic and cul
tural linkages will pave the way for enhancing political and economic relations.
He emphasized the need for removing the prevailing economic hardships in the way of the two countries to improve economic relations and enhance the volume of bilateral trade.
He stressed that the two sides must strengthen import and export activities to help each other in the economic sphere. Vice-Chancellor AIOU, Dr Nasir Mahmood thanked HEC and the participating vice chancellors and faculty from the two countries for the success of the conference and hoped that detailed discussions during the two days will lead to tangible outcomes for different spheres of higher education.
The second day conference covered two group discussions on ‘Academic Cooperation between Pakistan and Iran (Capacity and Opportunities)’ and ‘Cul
tural Cooperation between Pakistan and Iran (Capacity and Opportunities)’.
In the first group discussion, it was proposed that an Iran-Pakistan Universities Centre will be established to serve as a hub for Pak-Iran collaborations.
To facilitate faculty collaborations, universities from both countries would take practical steps such as exchange visits and joint research projects. It was emphasized that universities in both Pakistan and Iran should assess their strengths in specialized programmes. Formulation of Pakistan Chairs in Iranian universities and I
ran Chairs in Pakistani universities was also discussed.
During the second panel discussion, the panelists explored anticipated opportunities in the cul
tural realm and agreed that cul
tural collaboration should extend beyond mere language exchange.
They identified categories for mutual collaboration: education, fine arts, film, drama and religious tourism. Both sides emphasized strategic efforts to translate Urdu literature into Persian, collaboration in the celebration of festivals, cul
tural exhibitions, film, drama, and arts. They stressed the need for a cul
tural shift within universities and suggested a strategic action plan with clearly defined collaborative outcomes, quantified outputs, and specific time-lines for effective results.
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