“Climate-driven flood victims in Pakistan helped each other. Civil society and NGOs also played a very important role by providing food and shelter.” Dr Quratulain Bakhteari, Nobel Peace Prize nominee in 2006 and founding Director of the IDSP, said while addressing the audience of the three days International hybrid conference on Climate Crisis organized by IMAGINE – Institute of Futures Studies at Iqra University. She also said that helping humanity is imperative to deal with the climate crisis. Therefore, the world should help Pakistanis facing climate-driven floods because climate justice is the only way to overcome climate crises.
In her keynote speech, Dr Christin Pfeiffer, Programme Specialist Futures Literacy UNESCO, shared some insights about her current work within the Foresight Network. She also shared UNESCO’s plan to contribute to the up-skilling of Futures within the UN ecosystem, which includes a project with the UN Global pulse on futures consciousness to benefit intergenerational equity.
Professor Dr Shams Hamid, Dean of Social Sciences and Founding Director of IMAGINE – Institute of Futures Studies at Iqra University, also gave his opening remarks. Dr Shams said that UNESCO’s representative, leading international think tanks, scientists, intellectuals, educationists, futurists, social activists, and community workers. He said that experts from Pakistan, China, the USA, the UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Montenegro, Philippines, Uzbekistan, Morocco, and South Africa are participating in this conference to deal with the climate crisis.
Prof. Dr Imtiaz Arif, Associate Dean of Business Management, paid tribute to the Founding Chancellor of Iqra University and eminent philanthropist. He pointed out that his dream to provide affordable education has come true, and Iqra University has many campuses in Karachi and Islamabad, giving quality education to Pakistani youth.
Meanwhile, Young students can develop innovative products and services utilizing the latest scientific techniques if they are provided with quality education and a platform to support them. Dr Shams Hamid, Dean of Social Science at Iqra University, said this while addressing the second session of the 3-day international conference “Climate Crisis” organized by the Institute of Future Studies at Iqra University North Campus. He said that the projects made by young students are very good and they can be useful if they are provided support.
