Islamabad, February 20, 2025 – The Europe Today: On 19th and 20th February 2025, Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director of the Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future (PRCCSF), participated as a keynote speaker in the two-day 9th international conference titled “Sustainable Development Goals for a Better Future” organized by Women University Mardan in collaboration with Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Peshawar, COMSTECH Islamabad, and the University of Lakki Marwat, Lakki Marwat held at COMSTECH Islamabad. The Chief Guest for the conference was Senator Sherry Rehman, Chair of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Islamabad. His Excellency Alisher Tukhtaev, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Pakistan, Ms. Farah Hamid and Mr. Wang Councillor Embassy of the People’s Republic of China were the guest of honors.
All guests were warmly welcomed by the vice chancellors of Women University Mardan, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Peshawar, and the University of Lakki Marwat.
Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram delivered a speech in Technical Session-3, titled “SDG-17 (Partnerships for the Goals).” The session was chaired by Dr. Davut Sahbaz, Associate Professor, Department of Urdu, University of Ankara, Turkiye, with Dr. Zarmina Baloch, Department of Political Science, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University (SBBWU) Peshawar, serving as Co-Chair. In his presentation, Mr. Akram discussed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a catalyst for sustainable development, highlighting its role within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). His speech covered various topics, including energy and infrastructure development, equity and empowerment, environmental challenges, and regional connectivity. He emphasized the importance of CPEC in enhancing livelihoods, promoting innovation, and fostering people-to-people connectivity and cultural exchange.
The session was moderated by Ms. Wajeeha, Lecturer at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Peshawar. The conference featured a diverse lineup of international and national speakers.
International speakers included:
- Ms. Madiha Sajid, Chairman UPSIGN, UK Pakistan Global Network, Imperial College London, UK
- Prof. Dr. Loannis A. Giantsis, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
- Prof. Dr. Davut Sahbaz, Department of Linguitics and Philosophy, Ankara University, Turkiye
- Dr. Zoltan Kelemen, Institute of Global Studies, Corvinus University of Budapest Hungary
- Dr. Saeed Ur Rehman, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
National speakers included:
- Prof. Dr. Shahid Baig, Head Life Sciences Department, Health Services Academy, Islamabad
- Mr. Khurshid Ahmed Nadeem, Chairman, National Rahmatul-lil-Alameen Wa Khatamun Nabiyyin Authority (NRKNA), Islamabad
- Prof. Dr. Anisa Qamar, Head Department of Physics, University of Peshawar, Peshawar
Overall, the conference served as a vital platform for discussing sustainable development goals and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders committed to creating a better future.
