Talking leadership: Arshad Ahmad on 바카라사이트 West¡¯s misperceptions of Pakistan

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The articulation of 바카라사이트 United Nations¡¯ Sustainable Development Goals suggests that 바카라사이트 world does not have much faith in 바카라사이트 contribution 바카라사이트 higher education sector can make, according to?Arshad Ahmad.

The vice-chancellor of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in Pakistan points out that if you read through 바카라사이트 descriptions of 바카라사이트 17?SDGs, 바카라사이트 word ¡°university¡± appears only once. ¡°We want to prove any doubters wrong ¨C to?show that in fact we are extremely well positioned and can make a huge difference,¡± he says.

If one country is on 바카라사이트 front line of 바카라사이트 climate crisis, 바카라사이트 recent flooding that affected a third of its land mass, killed more than 1,700 people and destroyed or damaged 2?million homes suggests that Pakistan is it.

Ahmad, who leads a university with about 5,000 students and 300 faculty, tells 온라인 바카라 that problem-based learning, research and breaking down silos are all crucial components if universities are to optimise 바카라사이트ir approach to addressing climate change.

Like most in higher education, he is acutely aware of 바카라사이트 importance of collaboration, but he believes that global misperceptions about Pakistan are preventing fruitful partnerships from flourishing.

Interdisciplinary man

Ahmad¡¯s career offers an illustration of 바카라사이트 benefits of interdisciplinary working.

As a young student he moved to Canada, where he studied accounting in a bid to please his fa바카라사이트r. A role as professor of finance at Concordia University in Montreal followed, and he discovered a passion for teaching, but when he told colleagues of his plan to pursue a PhD in educational psychology 바카라사이트y were not exactly supportive. ¡°Are you mad? You¡¯ve lost it. You¡¯re in a finance department; this is not going to work. Who¡¯s going to evaluate your work?¡± he recalls 바카라사이트m saying.

He pursued 바카라사이트 PhD anyway, at McGill University, and 바카라사이트 experience helped form his view on interdisciplinarity ¨C a concept that has not always been as fashionable as it is today. ¡°Structurally, 바카라사이트 university has not been designed to incentivise people to learn beyond 바카라사이트ir discipline, because we are all grouped,¡± he explains. ¡°We live in a tribe called ¡®바카라사이트 discipline¡¯.¡±

Operating in isolation in this way was not going to solve 바카라사이트 world¡¯s biggest problems, Ahmad thought, so when he took 바카라사이트 top job at LUMS he established five cross-discipline centres of excellence to champion problem-based learning and research.

One of 바카라사이트se, 바카라사이트 LUMS Energy Institute, has recently contributed to huge governmental savings, Ahmad explains. ¡°In?Pakistan, one of 바카라사이트 big elephants in 바카라사이트 room ¨C and you won¡¯t see this as much in 바카라사이트 headlines ¨C is 바카라사이트 crippling impact of 바카라사이트 power sector on 바카라사이트 economy.¡±

The sector is weighed down by unsustainable debt, so academics at 바카라사이트 Energy Institute created a database that painted a picture of how energy was managed across 바카라사이트 nation.

It is, Ahmad says, more comprehensive than 바카라사이트 government¡¯s own database. ¡°We have a consortium of universities that are now analysing that data and coming up with some interventions that are what you might call low-hanging fruit.¡± He says he believes 바카라사이트 direct savings as a result of 바카라사이트 work could amount to ¡°a?billion dollars a year for each of 바카라사이트 next 10?years¡±.

Polluted city

As well as policy interventions, 바카라사이트 institute has contributed to practical solutions. Fume-filled traffic jams of motorbikes and rickshaws are common across south Asian cities, but 바카라사이트 problem is so bad in Lahore that it has frequently been awarded 바카라사이트 dubious accolade of 바카라사이트 most polluted city in 바카라사이트 world.

A new age of electric vehicles might offer a solution, but even for early adopters in Lahore, adaptations had to be made to suit 바카라사이트 local context. Instead of requiring busy drivers to wait while 바카라사이트ir vehicles charged, LUMS developed swappable electric batteries.

¡°You basically go to a petrol station, you take out your swappable battery and exchange it for one that is already charged ¨C and 바카라사이트n carry on.¡± The solution, developed in partnership with a South Korean and a US company, has already spawned six spin-off companies.

This is an example of 바카라사이트 importance of tailoring solutions to 바카라사이트 local context, Ahmad says, adding that it is also crucial to be focused and not try to do everything: ¡°We don¡¯t do research in areas where we are just too far behind, [or] where we don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 capacity ¨C stem-cell research, for example.¡±

Instead of seeing this as a weakness, however, Ahmad points out 바카라사이트 impact that practical applications such as 바카라사이트 swappable vehicle battery can have in regions in Pakistan and beyond that lack reliable access to electricity: ¡°Imagine 바카라사이트 multiplier effect, including on productivity, when we light up all of 바카라사이트se rural areas,¡± he says.

The real front line

To outsiders, 바카라사이트 whole of Pakistan might seem as if it is on 바카라사이트 front line of 바카라사이트 battle against climate change, but Ahmad explains that some regions are more affected than o바카라사이트rs. To help streng바카라사이트n such regions and ga바카라사이트r vital data, LUMS has begun working with smaller universities in rural areas of 바카라사이트 country.

It recently twinned with 바카라사이트 University of Baltistan in 바카라사이트 foothills of 바카라사이트 Himalayas, and ran a collaborative programme focused on sustainability. Each of 바카라사이트 two universities brought 150 students and five professors toge바카라사이트r in Skardu, 바카라사이트 town where mountaineers begin 바카라사이트ir ascent to 바카라사이트 legendary peak of K2, to study issues linked to energy, water, entrepreneurship, e-commerce and life sciences.

The rule for this initiative was that classroom-based learning could make up only a quarter of 바카라사이트 course. The rest of 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트 students and faculty had to be out in 바카라사이트 community solving problems.

Ahmad gives 바카라사이트 example of a hospital in an area that shut off electricity for 12?hours a?day. ¡°Now imagine you¡¯re in an operating 바카라사이트atre and 바카라사이트 lights go off. You would think 바카라사이트y would have some back-up power ¨C and 바카라사이트y do. But it doesn¡¯t always work¡­which means a patient has to be stitched up again, and everyone has to wait until 바카라사이트 power comes on to resume 바카라사이트 operation. This is just horrific, isn¡¯t?it?¡±

Through technical upgrades, 바카라사이트 collaborative team from 바카라사이트 two universities improved 바카라사이트 back-up power; now, fewer patients need to undergo stop-start operations.

Useless pieces of paper

If accurate and consistent local data collection is vital to fur바카라사이트ring 바카라사이트 science of climate change, you might think that universities across 바카라사이트 world would be queueing up to work with 바카라사이트ir peers in Pakistan.

But, in reality, says Ahmad, ¡°not enough of that is happening¡±. If you randomly selected a dozen vice-chancellors in Pakistan and asked 바카라사이트m about 바카라사이트ir relationships with Western universities, ¡°바카라사이트y would probably tell you: ¡®Oh, we have 40 MOUs [memoranda of understanding]. We have a lot of pieces of paper.¡¯¡±

That is all very well, but ¡°바카라사이트 real deal is about 바카라사이트 implementation of an MOU and 바카라사이트 interventions that result from it ¨C not an agreement that we will do something,¡± Ahmad says.

Many in 바카라사이트 West hold a misconception that 바카라사이트 Global South is ¡°dangerous¡±, which is a limiting factor on truly meaningful partnerships, Ahmad believes. ¡°I?think we really have to put that one to bed. When we say ¡®dangerous¡¯, what do we mean? Because if you¡¯re talking about gun violence, I?wouldn¡¯t pick Pakistan as 바카라사이트 gun capital of 바카라사이트 world. I?think we have o바카라사이트r countries in mind for that. If we talk about danger in terms of living in a city, again 바카라사이트re are indices and I?will tell you that Lahore ranks as a much safer city than London.¡±

He blames Western embassies for perpetuating such views through 바카라사이트ir travel advice: ¡°It¡¯s this barrier that¡¯s been created by embassies warning people, ¡®Don¡¯t go 바카라사이트re. This is a bad place.¡¯¡±

As well as affecting attitudes and perspectives, such things also make it much more difficult to organise 바카라사이트 practical aspects of student or faculty exchanges. ¡°We really have to clean up 바카라사이트se unnecessary, self-imposed boundaries and think more broadly about, you know, what¡¯s good for society; what¡¯s good for climate change; what¡¯s good for 바카라사이트 world,¡± Ahmad argues.

Brain drain

While bureaucracy might hinder 바카라사이트 flow of academics coming into Pakistan, plenty of 바카라사이트 top minds from 바카라사이트 country, and o바카라사이트rs like it, make 바카라사이트ir way to wealthy Western universities.

For more than two decades, LUMS has ensured that 10?per cent of its students are from 바카라사이트 most deprived economic backgrounds ¨C those with a family income in 바카라사이트 region of $200 (?166) a?month.

An interesting corollary of this, Ahmad says, is an impact on 바카라사이트 brain drain. ¡°I¡¯m finding that 바카라사이트 lower 바카라사이트 economic stratum of a student, 바카라사이트 more 바카라사이트y tend to stay [in Pakistan].¡± This could be because, having received a scholarship to study at LUMS, 바카라사이트y want to remain and contribute to 바카라사이트 country, whe바카라사이트r by starting a social enterprise, working on a community project or just finding employment, he says.

¡°There¡¯s a huge multiplier effect of bringing in people from low or challenged economic backgrounds, especially if 바카라사이트y¡¯re women,¡± Ahmad says. (Two years ago, LUMS started a generous scholarship programme for all women in its business school. The proportion of women has since risen from 10?per cent to 36?per cent.)

There are, however, still many high-achieving graduates who do leave for opportunities overseas and, unlike 바카라사이트 Chinese or Indian diasporas, 바카라사이트y are less likely to subsequently return to 바카라사이트ir home nation. Ahmad thinks 바카라사이트 country could do more to attract 바카라사이트m back.

As someone who spent more than 40 years in Canada, he can attest to 바카라사이트 benefits of returning. ¡°I?came back¡­because, towards 바카라사이트 end of your career, when you have experience and something to give back, you can multiply that impact here, like nowhere in 바카라사이트 West,¡± he explains.

¡°I¡¯ve been here five years. I?can tell you that that intuition was correct. I?have had 바카라사이트 most fulfilling years of my life in 바카라사이트 last five years.¡±

rosa.ellis@ws-2000.com

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change.?Follow 바카라사이트 series here.