Zubair Qureshi
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr Ishrat Hussain has urged the researchers of the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) to conduct research on South Asian countries from different perspectives and not just from an international relations perspective.
He said this during a visit and interaction with the IRS team on Monday. The IRS he said is doing a commendable job by highlighting various aspects of economy, international relations and regional issues in the neighbourhood of Pakistan.
Dr Hussain urged IRS researchers to produce quality research on South Asia. He was of the view that there was a dearth of quality research on South Asia in Pakistan.
He further stated that research was not just a bureaucratic endeavour but an exercise in creativity, which required a passion for learning and exploration.
Dr Hussain was appreciative of IRS research, including its one-of-a-kind newspaper archives. He urged the IRS to expedite the digitization process of the newspaper archives of the IRS.
Earlier, upon his arrival, President IRS Amb Nadeem Riyaz received Dr Hussain and apprised him about the recent initiatives taken at the Institute for further enhancing its efficiency and role in giving policy input.
Amb Riyaz informed Dr Hussain that alongside its other regular academic publications, IRS had also started a Policy Paper series including shorter policy-relevant write-ups either on demand or on any contemporary issue of national importance within the scope of IRS research.
Elaborating on the scope of IRS research Amb Riyaz shared that IRS conducted research primarily on the neighbourhood of Pakistan, which includes member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as well as China and Iran.
Amb Riyaz also briefed Dr Hussain on the process initiated for reviving and further enhancing the institutional linkages of IRS with other think tanks within the country and abroad.
