Lahore School of Economics Seventh Annual Social Sciences Conference
November 13, 2025
Trends and Practices in the Social Sciences
(13 – 14 November 2025)
The Lahore School of Economics held its 7th Social Sciences Conference, titled “Trends and Practices in the Social Sciences,” on November 13–14. Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry, Rector of the Lahore School of Economics, welcomed the speakers and participants from universities across the country. He emphasized the need for academia to contribute to policy prescriptions for pressing issues such as the climate crisis confronting Pakistan.
Day 1 featured an engaging focus on the role of language and literature in identity construction. Dr. Sonia Irum (International Islamic University) presented how contemporary critical fiction negotiates the notions of environment, power, and resistance in present-day contexts. Dr. Zakia Rashid Ehsan (Kinnaird College) discussed how literary texts are contextualized within localized cultural settings. Dr. Fauzia Janjua (International Islamic University), Dr. Tayyaba Tamim (LUMS), and Ms. Nida Saeed (Lahore School) shared their findings on class, language, education, and empowerment—particularly of marginalized communities. Dr. Nabiha Fatima Shahram, a sociologist at Lahore School, presented her research on the transgender community in Punjab and called for effective policymaking to equip them with the skills needed for a socially respected life. Dr. Afaf Manzoor (University of Education) examined the role of education in bridging inequalities.
Labels: Lahore School, Research, Social Sciences
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 11/13/2025 12:48:00 PM,
Lahore School of Economics Sixth Annual Social Sciences Conference
May 06, 2024
Emerging Themes in Social Sciences
(7th – 8th May 2024)
The Sixth Annual Conference of the Department of Social Sciences commenced at the Lahore School of Economics showcasing an array of insightful discussions and research presentations under the theme "Emerging Themes in Social Sciences." The conference brought together distinguished scholars and researchers to explore diverse topics ranging from linguistics to digital imperialism.
The first day of the conference began with the opening remarks by Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry, the Rector of Lahore School of Economics.
Giving out the objectives of the conference, Dr. Shahid Siddiqui, Dean, Department of Social Sciences, Art and Design at Lahore School of Economics underscored the significance of research at Lahore School and announced plans for new academic programs, including an MPhil in Political Science and Literature. He emphasized the institution's commitment to fostering scholarly endeavors and encouraging faculty participation in national and international conferences.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 5/06/2024 11:29:00 AM,
Lahore School of Economics Fifth Annual Social Sciences Conference
March 10, 2023
Lahore School of Economics hosted the Fifth Annual Conference on Social Sciences, Media Studies, Art and Design on 7th and 8th March 2023 which featured four sessions, including those on English language and political science.
The opening session was addressed by the Pro-rector of the Lahore School of Economics, Dr Azam Chaudhry, who emphasized the importance of a multidisciplinary research approach for long-term development.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3/10/2023 11:25:00 AM,
Major Powers and Greater Asia: The New Game
March 18, 2016
The Fourth Annual Social Sciences Conference was held at the Lahore School of Economics from the 17th to 18th of March, 2016. The second day of the conference was dedicated to discussion on political and international relations and brought together leading analysts and academics of Pakistan. The title of the conference was “Major Powers and Greater Asia: The New Game”, and the talks were centered around the role of major powers like US and China in South Asia and how Pakistan features into their politics.
The keynote speaker was Ambassador (Retd) Riaz Hussain Khokhar, who has served as Foreign Secretary of Pakistan as well as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, China and India. The topic and context of the conference was introduced by Prof. Sajjad Naseer, Senior Fellow, Department of Social Sciences. He said that the principal actors in the region were burdened by the weight of territorial disputes, including China, India, Afghanistan and Pakistan with no resolution insight. Additionally, Russia is pursuing aggressive policies towards Ukraine to secure its immediate border and the Chinese posturing, and its soft power projection through “One Road, One Belt” is raising disturbing issues. In view of the above, the conference focused on the competing perspectives of the major actors to make sense of the emerging reality in the region.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3/18/2016 05:06:00 PM,
Lahore School of Economics Fourth Annual Social Sciences Conference
March 17, 2016
The Social Sciences Department, Lahore School of Economics hosted its Fourth Annual Social Sciences Conference on April 17, 2016 at Burki Campus Lahore. The theme on the first day of the conference was ‘Beyond Boundaries: Language and Literature in a Globalized World.’ This theme stems from the fact that we are living in an interconnected world which has affected culture, education and learning from multiple perspectives with the massive expansion of media and technology. These effects were highlighted specifically from the viewpoints of linguistics, literature, gender and cultural studies. Renowned scholars, academician and researchers took part in the conference.
Labels: Annual Conference, Research, Social Sciences
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 3/17/2016 04:51:00 PM,
Lahore School of Economics Third Annual Social Sciences conference concludes
April 03, 2015
Lahore School of Economics Third Annual Social Sciences conference concluded this afternoon. Focus of the conference on the second day was on “Pakistan Beyond 2015: Changing Geo-Strategic Dynamics and Politico-Cultural Change.”
The day started with opening remarks by Prof. Sajjad Naseer who appreciated the commitment of Dr. Shahid Chaudhry, the Rector Lahore School of Economics, towards expansion of the discipline of political science within the School. He elaborated upon the theme as an effort to see Pakistan in terms of its future possibilities rather than digging into the past. The opening remarks were followed by a keynote address by Mr. Khursheed Mahmud Kasuri who discussed the geopolitical importance of Pakistan and the political perils and challenges it places it into. He expressed his opinion that we must learn from the experiences of the past and make decisions based on our national interests.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/03/2015 04:57:00 PM,
Lahore School of Economics Third Annual Social Sciences Conference
April 02, 2015
The Third Annual Social Sciences Conference of Social Sciences is being held at the Lahore School of Economics on April 2-3, 2015. Scholars, academician and researchers of renowned universities from all over Pakistan are attending the Conference.
The inaugural session of the day ‘Living by Narratives” opened by Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry, the Rector Lahore School of Economics, who welcomed the guest speakers and discussed the importance Lahore School assigns to research in the fields of Social Sciences and Humanities. His address was followed by the key note address by the Prof. Shaista Sonnu Sirajuddin, Former Chairperson, Department of English and Dean of Humanities, University of the Punjab. She while elaborating upon the theme of conference discussed the inevitability of man’s dependence on the narratives both as cognitive tools and for the reclamation of individual identities.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/02/2015 04:33:00 PM,
Lahore School of Economics Second Annual Social Sciences Conference
April 04, 2014
The Second Lahore School of Economics Annual Conference on Social Sciences concluded on April 4, 2014. Renowned scholars, academician and researchers took part in the conference.
The first day of the conference [April 3, 2014] focused on 'Language and Literature in South Asia: Perceptions, Practices, and Possibilities.' The conference began with the opening remarks by Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry, Rector of Lahore School of Economics. Session 1 was chaired by Dr. Sabiha Mansoor, the Vice Chancellor of LCWU. During this session, Dr. Tariq Rahman, Dean, School of Education, BNU, Lahore, examined the commodification of English in the Call Centres of Pakistan. Dr. Saiqa Imtiaz Asif, Chairperson, Department of English and Director, English Language Center, BZU, Multan presented her paper on the major causes of desertion of Seraiki language. Dr. Shahid Siddiqui Head and Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Lahore School of Economics presented his paper on reclaiming the silenced voice of women in Urdu literature. Dr. Amra Raza, Chairperson, Department of English Language and Literature, University of the Punjab, Lahore discussed the reworking of myths by Pakistani poets writing in English.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/04/2014 04:19:00 PM,
The nuclear rivalry between India-Pakistan: A social constructivist analysis
Dr. Shoaib Pervez, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Lahore School of Economics
The nuclear security relations between India-Pakistan are generally studied through traditional realist theories of state power. These theories are mostly interested in explaining rational motives behind states decisions to go nuclear and often give little credit to issues of state identity and norms behind such decisions of pristine importance. Treading on a different path this paper studies the nuclear rivalry between India and Pakistan by a social constructivist analysis based on socio-cultural norms of state identity. This social constructivist approach explains the strategic behavior of states by problematizing states identities and brings to light some socio-cultural norms which led to such decisions in the first place.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/04/2014 03:30:00 PM,
Civil-Military Relations in Pakistan and the United States
Dr. Hassan Askari Rizvi, Professor Emeritus (University of the Punjab) and Defense Analyst
Four major sets of factors influence civil-military relations, including military take-over in a country. External environment is one of the factors. The experience of a large number of countries that have experienced expanded role of the military shows that the decisive factors are internal and domestic. External factor may encourage or discourage a particular kind of disposition of the military. This may help the military to take over or deter it from doing so. Much depends on how other factors impact the context within which civilian authorities and military top brass function.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/04/2014 03:00:00 PM,
Political Dimensions of Pakistan
Dr. Azmat Hayat Khan, (Ex) Vice-Chancellor, University of Peshawar
The Geo-strategic location of Pakistan is such that it makes it an important and vital corridor, not only to the mineral resources of the Caspian Sea and Central Asian Republics, but also a major focal point in the politics of the Middle East. It’s a meeting of cultures Iranian, and Chinese culture, Indian culture and Central Asian Culture, meet the Arab culture. After the 9/11 incident, the world focus shifted to Central Asia, or Central Eurasia as it is now known, and the easiest and shortest access, to it is through Pakistan. With all these events taking place around it, Pakistan has gained an important role to play in this region, due to its geographic location. Pakistan could have gained much from its geographic position but it could not do so in all these years. Pakistan could not organize a political party which could cater to the needs of all the four provinces, or could represent the whole nation.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/04/2014 02:30:00 PM,
The issues of local government in Pakistan: The conundrum of policy making process
Dr. Saeed Shafqat, Director, School of Public Policy, Forman Christian College University, Lahore
The author argues that provincial autonomy and path dependence are among the dominant factors that have shaped the latest Local Government (LG) acts recently enacted by the provincial assemblies of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh. Yet, the LG acts of 2013 are distinguished by the fact that these are imposed neither by a military regime nor by the federal government; these have been drafted and adopted by the provincial assemblies after much debate and with a sense of ownership. The previous local governments suffered from legitimacy crisis and lack of ownership. The LG acts recently passed by the provincial assemblies are fragmented and driven by considerations of maintaining the status quo, rather than seeking to innovate and think out of the box for establishing transparent and accountable governance.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/04/2014 12:30:00 PM,
Strength or weakness: Pakistan’s fragmenting state and the maintenance of social order
Dr. Aasim Sajjad Akhtar, Assistant Professor, National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad
Mainstream scholarly analyses of the Pakistani state regularly emphasize its ‘failure’ and even its ‘rogue’ character. Meanwhile journalistic depictions and discussions in liberals’ drawing-rooms within the country focus on the increasing weakness of the state vis a vis ‘non-state’ actors. In all such accounts there is almost no recognition of the sociological bases of state power, and in particular the extent to which the dominant social order is in fact being strengthened or weakened by contemporary political developments, including (but not limited to) the intensification of millenarian violence.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/04/2014 12:00:00 PM,
Ideological Controversies in Pakistan
Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmed, Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, LUMS, Lahore
Was Pakistan meant to be a Muslim-majority national state or an Islamic state? This overarching question captures the spectrum along which different models of the state have been presented in Pakistani discussions since its inception in August 1947. Most states in the modern period, including those of Africa and Asia that emerged after WW II, are pragmatic in their orientation but Pakistan , Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel, North Korea are ideological states. Ideological states invariably distinguish between the primary nation and others and adopt constitutionally differentiated citizenship as the basis for the distribution of rights.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/04/2014 11:30:00 AM,
Class structure of Pakistan and its implications
Dr. Taimur Rahman, Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
The paper argues that the class structure of Pakistan is characterized by Asiatic capitalism, with the non-agricultural sector of the economy dominated by petty commodity production and small-scale capitalism. This has implications for the country’s politics, society, and culture.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/04/2014 11:00:00 AM,
Rethinking Pedagogy for Teacher Education in ELT/TESL in Pakistan’s Context
April 03, 2014
Prof. Dr. Samina Amin Qadir, Vice Chancellor, Dean Graduate Programmes, English, Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU), Rawalpindi
Pedagogy is at the heart of teaching and learning process which is influenced by a number of factors. It has been widely proved that an interesting yet multifaceted relationship exists between pedagogy and the beliefs/perspectives, competence/educational level and practices of teachers as they play a significant role in the construction and reconstruction of pedagogical practices which, ultimately, guide the decisions and actions of teachers in the classroom.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/03/2014 04:30:00 PM,
The Intersection of Caste, Social Exclusion and Educational Opportunity in Rural Punjab
Dr. Tayyaba Tamim, Associate Professor, Department of Social Sciences, Lahore School of Economics
Caste has been a much ignored but salient feature of the social structures in several parts of rural Pakistan. However, there has been little research to understand how this intersects with the perceived educational opportunity for the dominated low castes. This paper reports some key findings emerging from a funded study carried out in collaboration with the World Bank and Lahore School of Economics in two villages located in the South and Centre of Punjab, the largest province in Pakistan. The data was collected through multiple case study design and a qualitative approach.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/03/2014 03:40:00 PM,
The Role of Practitioner Inquiry in Professional Development of Teachers Working with English Language Learners
Dr. Aliya Zafar, Dean, Department of Humanities, COMSATS, Institution of Information Technology, Islamabad
There is an increase in the population of linguistically diverse students in United States schools. Research shows teachers feel they were insufficiently prepared to teach diverse learners. There is a need to prepare English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers to meet the academic needs of English Language Learners (ELLs) effectively and address their underachievement. Existing literature on professional development (PD) of teachers points to insufficient research that links PD to student learning. Scholars suggest a shift in PD from imparting knowledge for teachers and "training" them to enhancing authentic professional learning. Furthermore, there is limited literature on the effects of practitioner inquiry on the PD of ESOL teachers, and little is known about teachers' inquiry studies with ELLs. Therefore, this qualitative study explores how practitioner inquiry influences teachers’ perspectives and practices related to ELLs.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/03/2014 03:20:00 PM,
Alternative and Creative Pedagogies in English Language Education: A Journey of Discovery
Dr. Ayesha Bashiruddin, Assistant Professor, Agha Khan University, Institute for Educational Development, Karachi
This paper unfolds my journey of discovery of how alternative and creative pedagogies in English Language Education can be introduced, fostered and celebrated. It discusses alternative and creative pedagogies that I have initiated in English Language Education in English Specialization courses at Aga Khan University, Institute for Educational Development, Karachi. Then it raises certain questions regarding the use of these pedagogies. Why use these pedagogies? What are the challenges? What is there for the Course Participants? What is there for me? How do they fit in with the course requirements? Are alternative assignments in line with the course policy? How do they fit into my research interest? What are the ethical implications? These are the questions that this research aims to answer.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/03/2014 03:00:00 PM,
Sociolinguistic Analysis of Code-switching in Classrooms Discourse
Prof. Dr. Kaleem Raza Khan, Chairman, Department of English, University of Karachi
Code switching, use of two languages in one speech event, is a natural phenomenon in multilingual and bilingual societies. This practice is common in Pakistani society as well – people speak in two or more than two languages in service encounters, social encounters, in radio programmes, on television talk shows and so forth. All the people with competence in two or three languages make use of these languages whenever and wherever they interact with other people. The same bilingual practices are carried over to educational settings despite the fact that most educational institutions (at primary, secondary and especially at the tertiary level) do not encourage code switching in classrooms.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ 4/03/2014 01:20:00 PM,
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