Islamabad: (Parliament Times) AGAHI a not-for-profit organization and the country partner of the Millennium-Project, a Global Futures Studies & Research participatory think-tank signed a memorandum of understanding with Karakoram International University to establish Pakistan’s First Foresight Lab focusing on trends, challenges and opportunities. The Lab aims to check and test assumptions about Pakistan’s future among the leadership and wider society, explore perceptions, and identify future risks. The MoU signing ceremony was held at Karakoram International University. Speaking on the occasion Vice Chancellor Karakoram International University Dr. M Asif Khan said; there is a need to develop foresight capacity in our research pursuits; developing a systematic understanding on the subject matter will greatly help the university create opportunities for the next generation.
‘Foresight Lab is a collaborative effort’. Said Dr. Shahid Mahmud, co-Founder Foresight Lab, CEO and Chairman Interactive Group of Companies. He further expressed the need to weave in the research networks to develop local knowledge for informed policymaking and for this to be effective – how the entire national higher education sector can collectively contribute with their respective domain knowhow. Enabling policymakers to become diligent in managing natural resource for human betterment. In his presentation to the students and faculty, he explained how Big Data and Artificial Intelligence will be influencing the decision-making processes in the next decade.
AGAHI with its local partners Interactive Group of Companies and Eikon7 along with other leading academic institutions are creating a model that will have the ability to track expected state of the future over time at national, provincial and district levels – that will enable decision-makers to opt for the most informed policy choice. Puruesh Chaudhary, the Founder and President of AGAHI said, This cooperation marks the beginning of developing a contextual sense of clarity in the space of futures research and development; a perspective from Gilgit Baltistan – AGAHI and Karakoram International University’s objectives converge under the broader aspects of this knowledge collaboration of the Pakistan Foresight Initiative. Joining the Lab’s effort, Dr Tasawar Baig Director Karakorum Center for Cultural Studies & Heritage stressed on the composite understanding required to have a futures-focused research in the domains of arts, culture and heritage in times of tremendous geo-political developments.
AGAHI is a not for profit organization established in Islamabad in 2011 under the Society Registration Act 1860. Its primary function is to create non-paid communication strategies, content intelligence structures, development collaterals and tools for diverse sectors and organizations. AGAHI encourages and advises individuals and institutions in pursuing and supporting initiatives to improve the state of development in Pakistan. It works on developmental frameworks facilitating information and knowledge sharing platforms on understanding challenges in global perspective. Its research work mainly focuses on national and international security, ICT, competitiveness, human security, and governance. AGAHI in association with several leading national and international partners focuses on creating shared spaces for interactive learning, collaborative thinking, and knowledge sharing. It is at the forefront of devising foresight research and future scenarios work in Pakistan. AGAHI works with highly motivated and qualified professionals who have substantial experience in learning and leadership development.
Karakoram International University is a leading institution of higher learning committed to social development and evolution of peaceful and pluralistic societies in the mountainous areas of Pakistan and geographically similar regions elsewhere. It aims to promote human development at all stages of life; through growth, evaluation, synthesis, dissemination and application of knowledge, and provide a service that values sustainable, humanitarian, and economic development of the environment.
