ISLAMABAD: AGAHI, in joint cooperation with the Dadabhoy Institute of Igher Education (DIHE), conducted a two-day leadership session to explore methods and strategies for the future to deal with the multitude of problems that the city currently faces.
The sessions were designed and delivered by UNESCO Chair of Futures Studies Professor Sohail Inayatullah. AGAHI, committed to its research work for the future organised the sessions focused on Karachi Futures, in collaboration with its academic partner Dadabhoy Institute of Higher Education. Dadabhoy Institute Higher Education Vice Chairman Rabia Dadabhoy said, “This is the right platform to create multiple opportunities for collaboration and co-creation. Collaborating with AGAHI on this and in partnership with Pakistan Foresight Initiative, Karachi Futures is a step in the right direction”.
The objective of the sessions was to explore future methodologies and futures research strategies that could help alleviate the multitude issues the city currently faces. The participants were engaged in various methodologies for the future and were asked to apply them on the city. These included the future triangle, causal layered analysis, macro and micro scenarios, visioning and back casting.
In different times Karachi has been held back with issues that have proved detrimental towards its contribution to the nation’s prosperity. Power shortages, lack of infrastructure and political turmoil are some of the impediments that have contributed to hampering the city’s economic potential.
The sessions were designed to help the participants understand and develop a familiarity with methods used to develop preferred, probable and a possible future which focused particularly on changes in societal values and other critical drivers that have an impact on the future and to help enhance the effectiveness to deliver a desired vision. AGAHI Founder and President Puruesh Chaudhary said, “Pakistan State of Future Index which was recently launched in Islamabad gives a sense of how decisions in the country need to be made. Karachi, being the financial hub, needs a new metaphor and working with our Partner Institute DiHE, we feel that this is the platform which can create the momentum where citizenry participation is at the heart of all decision-making in the city”.
UNESCO Chair of Futures Studies Professor Sohail Inayatullah said, “Karachi can play a pivotal role in the future of cityscape by forming an alliance of Asian megacities that will collectively look towards solving the pressing issues they face within thus helping grow Pakistan’s value regionally and internationally whilst transforming Karachi into the emerald of the world”.
The sessions were attended by Journalists Afshan Subhoi, Mubashir Zaidi, Sohaib Jamali and Syed Naeemuddin; Academicians Dr Aadil Nakhoda, Dr Saad Ahmed Khan, Dr Arsalan Khan and Dr Saad Liaquat; Entreprenuers Abid Butt, Roger Dawood Bayat and Amir Jahangir; members of the civil society Syed Faizan Yasir, Salman Jawed, Lt-Gen Farooq Agha, ShaziaIsmat Javed and Habib Dadabhoy notably amongst others.
Published in Daily Times, October 28th 2017.
