Day: July 4, 2023

Lahore, July 04, 2023 (PPI-OT): Pakistan’s leading higher education institution, LUMS, organised a seminar on ‘Advancing Pakistan’s Power Sector through Strategic Investments and Digitisation’, featuring renowned energy experts, researchers, and academics. The seminar explored the transformative potential of strategic investments in confronting the challenges to Pakistan’s power sector, such as power shortages, distribution inefficiencies, and outdated infrastructure.

The seminar was organised by the LUMS Energy Institute (LEI), and experts explored solution-driven strategies and opportunities for innovation to overcome the energy sector’s challenges. The panellists called for confidence-building measures to encourage local and international investment in the sector through investment-friendly and consistent policies for long-term and sustainable impact.

Experts included Professor, Werner-Von-Siemens Chair, and Director, LEI, Dr. Fiaz Ahmad Chaudhry; Associate Professor and Co-Founder, LEI, Dr. Naveed Arshad; Advisor to CEO, K-Electric, Mr. Amer Zia; Project Director, National Incubation Centre Lahore, Mr. Nauman Ahmad Zaffar; Head, Computer Science Department, LUMS, Dr. Basit Shafiq; Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, K-Electric, Ms. Sadia Dada, and Chief Technology Officer Power Information Technology Company (PITC), Mr. Kashif Shehzad.

During the panel discussion, Ms. Dada detailed K-Electric’s upcoming investment plan of PKR 484 billion for the next seven years. The plan aims to add 2,172 MW to its generation capacity, including 1,182 MW of renewables. She highlighted the organisation’s commitment to innovation in its distribution segment through the introduction of Advanced Distribution Management System, Mobile Workforce Management, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and Advance Analytics and Artificial Intelligence. She expressed that these advancements would lead to an improved customer experience through faster issue resolution, fewer interruptions, and enhanced capacity.

Dr. Chaudhry addressed the need for building more energy-efficient and sustainable buildings to reduce the 20,000 MW of demand currently used for cooling. “The investment required to provide the cooling load of Pakistan in the summers is not sustainable and contributes significantly to the circular debt of Pakistan,” he said.

Dr. Arshad further emphasised the importance of investing in the energy sector, “We need to invest in our future by allocating more funding towards meeting climate goals. The USD 830 billion spent in 2021 is not enough to make a meaningful impact. Clean technology is a solution, and it can provide jobs for our youth while mitigating climate change.” Mr. Zia added that the impacts of digitisation and new technologies are often observed long-term and require support from the leadership. There is a dire need to invest in the future and be patient for the results, he explained. He also added that K-Electric is prioritising developing an automated decision-making process and focusing on decarbonisation through renewable energy sources.

Noting the importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the energy sector, Director, Centre for Intelligent Systems and Networks Research, Dr. Gul Muhammad noted, “If we don’t have energy, we can’t get hold of AI. The best renewable energy is what you save without disturbing any quality of service.” The seminar highlighted the vital role that the LUMS Energy Institute is playing to further solution-oriented discourse about Pakistan’s energy crisis.

For more information, contact:

Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)

D.H.A. Lahore Cantt. 54792

Lahore, Pakistan

Tel: +92-42-35608000

Fax: +92-42-35725048

Website: www.lums.edu.pk

Islamabad, July 04, 2023 (PPI-OT): The Institute of Regional Studies organized a webinar titled, ” Water Disputes: Fault lines of the Future,” held on June 23, 2023. Mr. Najibullah Sadid, water resources and environmental expert, Mr. Asim Jamal, IUCN, Maham Naweed, IPRI, discussed the transboundary water related issues including Kabul River between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Helmand River between Afghanistan and Iran and Indus River between India and Pakistan, as climate change is aggravating water insecurity in the region.

Transboundary water related issues and impacts of climate change, increase in population and increase in water demand along with the way out were discussed. Dr. Toqeer Ahmed, Tenured Associate Professor represented CCRD, CUI and joined the more than 20 participants who attended the said webinar.

For more information, contact:

COMSATS University Islamabad

Park Road, Tarlai Kalan, Islamabad, Pakistan

Tel: +92-51-9247000,

Website: http://ww2.comsats.edu.pk

Islamabad, July 04, 2023 (PPI-OT): The Department of Civil Engineering, MY University Islamabad arranged a seminar with title “Role of Youth in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” on July, 4th 2023. The seminar was a start-up for a transformative journey to explore the power of youth in creating a sustainable future. The aim was to discover how the ideas, passion and actions of the youth can contribute to achieving the global goals to address poverty, inequality, climate change, and justice.

The renowned speakers Mr. Ammar Jafri (Chairman, SDGs Academy Pakistan) and his team addressed the audience. The session was very much informative and motivated the students of engineering and other disciplines for attainment of SDGs. To achieve the goals and engage the MY University students, an ambassador with a team of seventeen members was selected. For a meaningful impact the ambassador during his speech inspired the students to harness collective potential and become catalysts for the change and shape our future.

For more information, contact:

MY University

Street # 40 (G-10/4) Islamabad PO Box 44000, Pakistan

Tel: +92-51-8733217, +92-51-8733218

E-mail: contact@myu.edu.pk

Website: http://myu.edu.pk/

Islamabad, July 04, 2023 (PPI-OT): In this fast-paced and demanding world, prioritizing and empowering our wellness is crucial for accomplishing sustainable health. This journey towards sustainable health involves embracing practices that support physical, mental, and emotional well-being while encouraging long-term balance and resilience. It focuses on self-reflection, experimentation, and embracing what works best for our well-being.

NUMS Department of Public Health in collaboration with Firefly NGO, a premier Non-Government Organization for Mental Health is dedicated to raise awareness, change the talk, and find solutions for the youth. In this regard a Seminar titled “Empowering Wellness: A journey to Sustainable Health” was held at the National University of Medical Sciences, PWD campus on Wednesday 24th May 2023 which is also in line with various Sustainable Development Goals including SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) and SDG 4 (Quality Education). Prof Brig(Retd) Naila Azam HOD Department of Community Medicine Foundation University Medical College graced the occasion with her presence as a guest speaker.

The event started with a recitation of the Holy Quran. The lead of NUMS Firefly Committee highlighted the achievements of organization since its collaboration and briefed about the future goals. It was followed by the presentation on the journey of World Health Organization (WHO) a Primary arm of UN since its inception in 1948, titled “75 Years History of WHO in Improving Public Health”. The most exciting segment of the event was Arts and Fun activities focusing on the cognitive physical and mental skills in which BSPH students from all the batches and the esteemed DPH faculty participated enthusiastically. The activities included tongue twisters, wanna spoon, an eating challenge, tug of war, a spelling bee, dumb charades and Chinese whisper. Sketching, Drawing, poster, and painting competitions that reflected the talent of skillful students were also held and the winners were awarded certificates.

Another highlight of the event was Handprint Activity that took place in the university compound area to allow students come together as a community and demonstrate their unwavering support for individuals facing physical or mental illnesses.

Prof Brig(Retd) Naila Azam was very pleased by the performance of the BSPH students. She shared her valuable insights and words of sage, which were very stimulating and motivational. The Head of Department Public Health Prof. Dr Uzma Hassan in her concluding remarks stressed on the importance of such events for students as it provides insight into diverse topics and motivate them to explore new areas of interest. She congratulated and appreciated the focal person of this seminar Dr. Tamkeen Jaffry (Associate Professor) for this commendable job. She also appreciated Dr. Hina Shan (Assistant Professor), Dr. Raima Asif (Assistant Professor), Ms. Rubab Zulfiqar(Lecturer), Dr Nasir Javaid (Lecturer).

Mr. Attique Arshad (Sub Office Assistant) for organizing the event. The HoD applauded the efforts of all the students, stating that these activities were vivifying and gave a sense of gratification for the holistic well-being of the students and encouraged to keep conducting such events in future too. At the end, she also appreciated the Digital Technologies Directorate, Administration Directorate, Public Affairs Directorate and Department of Student Affairs for providing conducive environment facilitating the successful conduction of this seminar.

For more information, contact:

National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS)

The Mall, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Tel: +92-51-9270677

Email: info@numspak.edu.pk

Website: http://numspak.edu.pk

Islamabad, July 04, 2023 (PPI-OT): Maintaining a positive mental health and treating any mental health conditions is crucial to stabilizing constructive behaviours, emotions, and thoughts. Focusing on mental health care can increase productivity, enhance our self-image, and improve relationships. By making a concerted effort to spread mental health awareness, we can work to de-stigmatize how we think about, approach, and identify mental health issues in our society. For this purpose, NUMS Department of Public Health conducted an awareness session for BSPH Students on Importance of Mental Health held at the National University of Medical Sciences, PWD campus on Wednesday, 24 May 2023 at 11:00 hours, which is also in line with Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing).

Prof Brig(Retd) Naila Azam Head of Department Community Medicine, Foundation University Medical College was the guest speaker of the session. She is known for her extensive knowledge and vast experience in this field and addressing various aspects of Public Health issues. It was a very instructive and encouraging session, highlighting how essential it is to focus on mental health, as both mental and physical health are equally important components of overall health. She also emphasized on the importance of early diagnosis of mental health problems because poor mental health can lead to problems such as the inability to make adequate decisions, substance use disorders and can affect our thoughts, actions and interactions. Furthermore, she highlighted the importance of Public Health in the coming era and appreciated the efforts of BSPH Students for the community work they are doing for the wellness of Humanity.

The Head of the Department of Public Health Prof. Dr Uzma Hassan in her concluding remarks emphasized on importance of addressing the mental health issues to stay psychologically healthy and keeping up with educational and personal goals. She also discussed the significance of stress management, as it can be a vital aspect of student success, especially for busy students who are successful academically but managing to improve mental health outcomes. She congratulated the focal person of this event Dr. Raima Asif (Assistant Professor Public Health) for successfully organizing this session. She also appreciated the efforts of her faculty and students for organizing this valuable talk.

The HoD also expressed her gratefulness to honourable guest for taking out her precious time to grace the event with her presence and presented a certificate and Shield. At the end, she also appreciated the Digital Technologies Directorate, Administration Directorate, Public Affairs Directorate and Department of Student Affairs for providing conducive environment facilitating the successful conduction of this session.

For more information, contact:

National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS)

The Mall, Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Tel: +92-51-9270677

Email: info@numspak.edu.pk

Website: http://numspak.edu.pk

Lahore, July 04, 2023 (PPI-OT): Mr. Muhammad Usama Waheed is an outstanding teacher of Psychology and Behavioural Economics who focuses on ‘treating students with respect and empathy and encouraging them to introspect and grow’. His practice of putting students first by offering personalised support and feedback on their learning is often highlighted. As one student put it, “His ability to check up on people individually and have casual chats makes him stand out…individual feedback, criticism, and praise is a key part of teaching that is often overlooked. So, thank you for that.”

He takes a pedagogical approach that is grounded in experiential and reflection-based learning, leading by example, and innovating to help students integrate theory with real-world contexts. He uses a variety of technology tools and is involved in co-working with students on their projects, using participatory design for his courses, and creating innovative case studies from personal experiences. Mr. Waheed’s unwavering dedication to student engagement and learning is making a sizable difference in their lives, and that is why he is one of LUMS’ most celebrated teachers.

We sat down with Mr. Waheed to learn more about his teaching philosophy, how his students inspire him and what he thinks about the awards.

What inspired you to be a teacher?

I was lucky to have great teachers myself. They weren’t even teachers – they were more like friends and mentors. While there are plenty of fantastic teachers inside the classroom, it’s when I saw what impact could be created outside of it that I decided to pursue teaching. To me, teaching is just a way to get to know about a hundred new people every year, who I can then help long after the course has ended – because that’s the experience I got from the very best teachers I had.

What do you find most rewarding as a teacher?

Since a lot of my teaching is experiential/application-based, I love it when students write to me over the years just to tell me how they still remember and use what I taught them. My teaching philosophy aims to create long-term value, particularly in terms of behaviour change, so it is satisfying to hear from students that it has, indeed, made an impact on their lives beyond just quizzes and exams.

What do you think is required to improve the overall teaching experience in Pakistan?

I hesitate to make generalisations about the education system in the entire country but something I feel strongly about is reducing the power gap between students and teachers. The more teachers teach, the more they forget what it feels like to learn; or indeed, what it’s like to be a student. A great learning environment starts by making the classroom a place that students want to enter, and I certainly would not want to enter a room in which I am belittled. So, teachers should treat their students as they would treat any other human – with respect and empathy.

What is the singular achievement as a teacher that you are proud of?

Getting LUMS students to not care about grades! I have received several emails where students express their gratitude for the learning from my course and the amount of qualitative feedback I provide them on how to improve, rather than reducing them to a number that can be entered in Zambeel. To get them to not worry about their grades in a competitive environment like LUMS is quite an achievement for me.

What does the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence mean to you?

As a relatively new instructor, I owe this award to my students who have been extremely patient and supportive while I learn and grow as a teacher. The award encourages me to continue innovating my teaching methods and pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved inside and outside the classroom. It also serves as a reminder to me that age and experience are no excuses for me to not strive for excellence.

If there is one thing that you want your students to remember about you, what would that be?

I would like them to remember me not as a good teacher, but as a good person. Often, the two will go hand-in-hand, but sometimes I have to make decisions that prioritise the latter over the former. To that end, I’d like students to remember that being a decent human being will take them a lot further in life than being an excellent professional.

What inspired you to teach Psychology and Behavioural Economics?

Both are fields that focus on human behaviour. My teaching philosophy encourages behavioural change for the better, so it is important to first understand how people behave before one can introspect on their own individuality and attempt to improve. While technical knowledge in these fields is great, I feel that the hallmark of a good education is that you also become a better human.

For more information, contact:

Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)

D.H.A. Lahore Cantt. 54792

Lahore, Pakistan

Tel: +92-42-35608000

Fax: +92-42-35725048

Website: www.lums.edu.pk