“Balancing Relationship Between Global North and Global South: Challenges and Opportunities”
Islamabad — The two-day Islamabad Symposium 2025, themed “Balancing Relationship Between Global North and Global South: Challenges and Opportunities,” concluded at the NUST main campus. The symposium offered unique deliberations over diverse subjects, such as the present-day regional and global issues particularly conflicts and wars, the need for technological advancement and accessibility, climate change preparedness, iron-clad relations of Pakistan and China, and the need for accountability measures for the rogue states promoting an utter disregard of the international law.
Speaking at the closing session, Rector NUST Dr Muhammad Zahid Latif thanked the esteemed speakers and audience, and complimented NUST Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS) for their efforts to organise the event at the university. He shared the NUST vision of nurturing young minds into competent and responsible citizens, and developing partnerships through knowledge diplomacy and collaborations. The chief guest of the closing ceremony, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, NI, NI (M), Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, noted that global affairs are now more complex than ever. He highlighted that Pakistan shares the spirit of multilateralism and equality, evidenced by its repeated calls for peace, responsible conduct, and dialogue. Talking to young scholars, he emphasised the role of academia and appreciated NUST for the success of the Islamabad Symposium 2025.
Dr Atia Ali Kazmi, President Global Peace Strategy Forum, masterfully chaired the symposium’s last plenary session titled “From Challenges to Solutions: Roadmap for a More Inclusive & Sustainable Global Order.” She succinctly discussed the plethora of issues raised in the previous plenaries and reiterated that united action and shared will are the building blocks for creating a road to an inclusive and sustainable world order. Mr Victor Gao, Vice President, Center for China and Globalization, echoed the tale of decades of unequal exchange between the Global North and South, and emphasised the importance of inclusive cooperation to alleviate the fault lines that divide the world into two blocs and hinder global unity. H.E. Per Albert Ilsaas, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Pakistan, elucidated that contemporary times require multilateralism with greater urgency than ever.
Ambassador Naghmana Hashmi reiterated the significance of pragmatic diplomacy, citing the Iran nuclear deal, the ceasefire efforts between Israel and Hamas, as well as the diplomatic efforts to stop the four-day conflict between India and Pakistan. Another speaker, Dr Shahid Mahmud, Senior Advisor OIC COMSTECH & CEO and Chairman Interactive Group of Companies, highlighted the limited representation of the Global South in the AI domain, underscoring greater fairness in AI advancement for global prosperity.
Earlier on the first day of the symposium, Mr Khawaja Muhammad Asif (NI), Federal Minister for Defence, graced the inaugural session as chief guest. Besides the plenary sessions, the first day featured the launch of the book: Pakistan’s Search for Peace with Afghanistan: Statecraft, Policy, and Strategy by Dr Muhammad Zahid Latif. The Defence Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif (NI), congratulated the author on his impeccable work and expertise on the subject, noting that the book offers an original take on the current and future trajectory of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, providing insightful pointers for the peaceful coexistence of the two neighbors. Another book, Domestic Politics and Foreign Policy: A Case Study of Pakistan-India Relations, by Dr Arshad Mahmood, was launched on the second day of the Islamabad Symposium.
ENDS
