LONDON: The London School of Economics (LSE) has welcomed the announcement by prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that Jinnah Chair will be established under the auspices of LSE South Asia Centre and it will be funded by the government of Pakistan.
The LSE has confirmed that the PM Abbasi made the commitment during his recent visit of the LSE for the Future of Pakistan Conference 2017 organised by LSE Pakistan Development Society in collaboration with South Asia Centre and Communication Research Strategies, Islamabad.
The LSE said that the Jinnah Chair will become the first-ever, dedicated and focused research agenda on Pakistan at a world-class higher education institute and become the first such research program on Pakistan in the world.
It said that the research agenda will explore Pakistan’s constitutional democracy and focus on major aspects about Pakistan independent of relations with India or the war on terror.
The announcement of the establishment of the Jinnah Chair has been welcomed by the LSE Director Minouche Shafik and the Director of LSE South Asia Centre, Dr Mukulika Banerjee.
Omer Azhar Bhatti, the President of LSE Pakistan Development Society and lead organiser of the Future of Pakistan Conference said that the Prime Minister’s visit will go down in history books because this is the first time that the sitting PM of Pakistan has spoken at a truly world-class institution like LSE.
Omer explained that the establishment of the Jinnah Chair is a huge achievement for the LSE South Asia Centre and Pakistan. “In laymen terms, it means that that LSE South Asia Centre becomes the go-to place for anyone who wants to know where good research is conducted on Pakistan.”
“It will allow the world to view Pakistan through a different prism altogether, independently of terrorism and Indian conflict. The chair will provide excellent fellowship and research opportunities for all those who want to study and conduct in-depth research on Pakistan by providing fellowship and research opportunities,” he added.
