Beijing, July 4, 2025 – The Europe Today: Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram, Executive Director of the Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future (PRCCSF), received the “Best Paper Presentation Award” at the 4th Tsinghua Area Studies Forum, held at Tsinghua University from 2nd to 4th July in Beijing, China. About 250 Scholars/ Experts from 100 countries participated in the three-day conference, which was arranged by Institute of International and Area Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing, which is one the top universities in the world. This event is one of the biggest gathering of International Relations Experts in the world. Mr. Akram’s presentation, titled “Harnessing the Digital Economy for Inclusive Growth in the Global South,” was selected as the best among 250 submissions from 100 countries.
The three-day conference, themed “Beyond Regions: Emerging Issues for the Global South,” featured diverse discussions on critical global challenges. On July 4, 2025, Mr. Akram moderated and spoke in a panel titled “Economic Inequality and Governance,” part of the broader track on “Economic Development: New Pathways and Future Prospects for the Global South.” His contributions provided valuable insights into inclusive growth, digital economies, and legal frameworks in the Global South.
In his award-winning presentation, Mr. Akram emphasized the digital economy’s potential to drive inclusive growth in the Global South. He highlighted the necessity of combining technological advancements with robust policy, infrastructure, and human capital development. The presentation underscored key lessons from digital business case studies, advocating for strategic investments, human capital growth, and innovation-supportive regulations, alongside consumer protection. It also addressed concerns like the digital divide and the need for collaborative efforts to ensure equitable distribution of digitalization’s benefits.
The 4th Tsinghua Area Studies Forum was structured into several thematic panels, each designed to address distinct yet interconnected facets of the Global South:
- Panel 1: Geopolitics and Domestic Politics: This panel explored the two-way influence between Global South countries and the evolution of the world order. Sessions delved into geopolitical conflicts and regional integration and cooperation.
- Panel 2: Economic Development: Beyond Mr. Akram’s panel, this track covered trade, investment, global value chains, transformation of the informal economy, sustainable development, industrial policy, and economic growth.
- Panel 3: Social Development and Governance Challenges: Discussions here included social inequality and welfare, transformations in health governance and digital sovereignty, comparative perspectives on development and governance, and central-local coordination in local governance.
- Panel 4: Historical Writing and Cultural Inheritance: This panel explored historical and cultural memory in nation-building, public space, environmental and material history, and local perspectives on theoretical construction and historical writing in the context of global history. It also addressed religion, cultural identity, and globalization.
- Panel 5: Governing Resources: This panel focused on politics, contestation, and cooperation related to resources in the Global South. Topics included the green energy transition, geopolitical strategies, interregional cooperation in resource governance, political logic, strategic bargaining, and global cooperation on climate change.
- Panel 6: International Migration and Inclusive Development: This panel examined new trends in migration, cultural diversity, social integration, and migration-related security challenges, using cases from the Global South.
The 4th Tsinghua Area Studies Forum successfully brought together a diverse group of scholars, policymakers, and experts to address critical challenges in geopolitics, resource governance, and social development. Mr. Akram’s recognition underscores his impactful research and leadership in shaping inclusive economic policies and his dedication to fostering collaborative, cross-border solutions for the Global South.
