Enabling Innovative and Research-Driven Education for All in Pakistan
Duaa Ayaz discusses the need for Pakistan to revamp its education system and adopt a research and outcome-oriented hybrid educational model to bridge the gap between the curriculum and 21st century demands.
The education system in Pakistan is outdated and fails to equip students with the modern requisites, subsequently increasing unemployment.
The state must enable education by fostering public-private partnerships, increasing vocational training, and promoting mental health initiatives at school level.
The Education Crisis in Pakistan
The article is a heartfelt, fact-based, and thought-provoking take on the current education system in Pakistan and how we can reform it.
Aalia Khan draws conclusions from her own experiences as well as the statistics about education and all the factors impacted by education.
Some of the harsh truths that she presents are realities most Pakistanis will find hard to acknowledge. However, the focus is brought on how we must have a thorough understanding of the long-standing problems in order to devise a solution that could truly work.
The World in 2023: A Turbulent Year
The turbulent year of 2023 has finally come to an end. The year was marked by numerous conflicts, tragedies, clashes, and chaos around the globe. Unfortunately, the year 2023 has passed instability and chaos to the coming year. Notably, the United States played the key role behind most of these conflicts due to its economic interests.
The Enigma of Henry Kissinger: Unraveling a Legacy Laced with Blood and Power
Unveiling a career marked by opportunism and pragmatism, Naveed Hussain Mangi scrutinizes Kissinger’s role in shaping world events, from the prolonged Vietnam War to the Middle East and Latin America.
Beyond diplomatic accolades, he examines the bloodstains on Kissinger’s legacy, exploring the enduring consequences of his decisions and the ethical questions raised by his post-1970s advisory role.
Ultimately, the analysis calls for a nuanced understanding of the intricate interplay between geopolitics, morality, and the human cost of realpolitik.
Australia-China Relations: Conceptualizing Frenemies?
Under Prime Minister Albanese’s administration, Australia recognized that trade with China is worth more than trade with Japan, the US, and South Korea combined. Normalizing Australia-China relations viz-a-viz complementary economies should be set as a priority.
For China, Australia stands as an important partner, not only in regard to natural and renewable resources but also as having an ally among the Western powers through which it can control a hold over economic as well as political maneuvers.
Consequently, for Australia, shaping a clear policy is necessary as it needs to act with great prudence and analyze its steps in any matter. Australian economic benefits lie with both the US and China so siding with one will only cause problems.
Will the Lost Glimmer in CPEC’s Progress Push China into Abandoning It?
CPEC – a project with unprecedented provisions to Pakistan, China, the Middle East, and other connected regions – has top position in evolving Pakistan’s future.
The completed projects have aided Pakistan, but there is no solid evidence to ease the concerns regarding the credibility of employment estimates, Pakistan’s outstanding debts, China’s dwindling interest, and a lack of certainty and security.
Fiza Bibi Ameen addresses the possibility of China abandoning CPEC entirely, in addition to assessing the factors behind project’s slow pace.
Nagorno-Karabakh: A Conflict with No Easy Answers
Nagorno-Karabakh, a landlocked mountainous territory, has been the source of a long-standing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. While military confrontations have simmered down, peace in the region appears distant.
This piece will help you understand the causes and consequences behind the conflict as well as the stances of countries like the US, Russia, Turkey, and Pakistan.
Paradigm Shift’s Magazine: November 2023 Edition
The November 2023 edition of the Paradigm Shift magazine contains 12 handpicked pieces. These cover the genocides in Congo and Palestine, the geostrategic importance of the South China Sea, Hindu nationalism in India, and the role of AI in modern warfare.
Destined for War: Can America and China Escape the Thucydides’s Trap
Destined for War is a strategic compass for statesmen and is essential reading for students and researchers who are studying the complexities of great power politics. Allison, in this book, has given clues as to how the struggle between China and the US can end in war. The book has been a captivating exploration of the Thucydides Trap, offering profound insights into the challenges these two global powers face and the potential consequences of failing to navigate these challenges successfully. To support the claims, Alison has provided sixteen cases from the last 500 years in which a rising power challenged an existing power, of which 12 ended in war. The dynamics of the politics of the contemporary world are very different from the politics before the two World Wars because of nuclear weapons. If things are not managed diplomatically, the end of both powers could be catastrophic.
Mobilising Women in Pakistan
The widening gender gap in Pakistan amid the ongoing economic crisis is yet another challenge Pakistan has to deal with. As indicated by the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2023, Pakistan has been ranked 142 out of 146 countries. This reveals 57.5% gender parity in Pakistan, which is the highest since 2006.
A crisis-ridden country like Pakistan needs to mobilize its women for the development of the country by improving economic opportunities, providing quality education, working for their health and survival, and promoting political empowerment.
It’s the need of an hour to learn from countries like Finland and Iceland which have been successful in closing their gender gap. Constituting 49 percent of Pakistan’s total population, women’s participation in the economy is the way forward.
Pakistan-North Korea Relations: An Unexpected Friendship
Over the years, North Korea and Pakistan have maintained an intricate and, at times, surreptitious relationship, one that is grounded in strategic alliances and shared interests in military technological advancements.
Such a relationship has challenged stability in the region, specifically due to global efforts towards deterring nuclear proliferation. Other than the occasional diplomatic precursor from both sides, the depth of this cryptic alliance is left to one’s imagination.
Who Do We Blame?
The past two weeks have been satiated with staggering bloodshed. An estimated 10,000 Palestinians have lost their lives with over 4000 of them being innocent children.
This is a recalcitrant cycle that often sprouts up in the media every one or two years.
However, who do we blame for this catastrophe that shakes up the Middle East’s stability every now and then?
Paradigm Shift’s Magazine: October 2023 Edition
The October 2023 edition of the Paradigm Shift magazine contains 12 handpicked pieces.
These cover important issues like the Israel-Palestine war, the political destinies of party leaders in Pakistan, and the rise and fall of PIA, among others.
A Grim Journey: Narcotics in KP
The use of narcotics in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a rising issue, specifically the cultivation of opium. A new wave of drugs has also found itself infiltrating the trade market in the form of synthetic drugs (ecstasy pills and methamphetamine).
The influence of Afghanistan and subsequently the new Taliban government alongside the current initiatives and policies of Pakistan have had varying impacts on the rise and fall of these narcotics.
Mineral Resources in Pakistan
Pakistan is one of the most resource-rich countries in the international political economy. The state is known for its rich weather that includes four seasons, distinct geographical features, and of course, the abundant resources of minerals and metals that it possesses.
Due to its rich geography, it not only receives heavy tourist traffic but also favors from processes such as metallurgy and mineral extraction that add to its position in the international market.
Can Europe Affect the Outcome of the Russia-Ukraine War?
Amidst the international community’s changing political and economic atmosphere due to the Russia-Ukraine war, a sort of discord has erupted in Europe. The division between Western Europe and Eastern Europe is becoming more obvious than before, driving a wedge concerning a cohesive European foreign policy towards the war.
There is unease in Western Europe due to the increased role and involvement of the US in Europe in the wake of this conflict. In addition, certain oversights and controversies arising in the middle of the Russia-Ukraine war can affect the course of actions of European countries if the blame falls on anyone significant.
The US Dollar vs BRICS: Is the American Financial Order Declining?
Muhammad Mustafa Ahmed Khan discusses the historical dominance of the American currency, the dollar. He examines the challenges to the supremacy of the US dollar and, additionally, to the American financial order, posed by the economic policies of the BRICS member states. Though they might not match the US individually, together these states contribute significantly to the global economy. Their decision to trade in their respective currencies itself poses a threat to the dollar.