Institute of Administrative Sciences (IAS), University of the Punjab (PU) in collaboration with Punjab Economic Research Institute (PERI), Planning & Development Department (P&DD), Punjab is holding an international two-day conference on (20–21 March,2018) on Governance, Management & HR: Strategic Directions. The conference is bringing together academicians from local and international universities, policymakers, researchers, and management from the corporate and public sector for a dialogue on Governance, Management and HR best practices. International guests from USA, UK, Belgium, Norway, New Zealand amongst other countries are participating in this conference. In particular, Prof. Tom Christensen (Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Oslo, Norway) and Prof. Evan Berman ((Professor of Public Management, School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand) are part of the international conference. They were a part of inaugural session as key note speakers.
Addressing the inaugural session, Prof. Dr. M. Nizamuddin Chairman, Punjab Higher Education Commission stated that Lahore is fast becoming a city of conferences, with increasing number of conference taking place which is an encouraging sign. Additionally, he appreciated the fact that a perspective of CPEC has been made part of the conference theme, as according to him, Pakistan needs to be more actively discussing and debating on CPEC related activities. Sharing his views on HR, PHEC chairman stressed on the strengthening of management and delegating powers as the key to progress and cited Gujranwala and Sialkot examples of how proper planning can lead to betterment at district and provincial levels.
Earlier, at the conference, Director PERI, P&D Dr. Mumtaz Anwar highlighted the importance of the conference for a developing economy like Pakistan by explaining how the development of strong human resource has contributed significantly to the economic growth of economically advanced nations. He was of the view that reforms in the organizational structure the need of the hour and the Punjab government is committed to enhancing the public service delivery. Dr. Mumtaz was hopeful that the two-day program will offer insights into the HR and management best practices that will greatly benefit the stakeholders, particularly those belonging to the public sector.
Prof. Dr. Zakaria Zakar, Vice Chancellor, Punjab University remarked that our youth needs cross cultural exposure and international activity. Hence, this conference is a good initiative for a dynamic academic exchange. He also highlighted the role of HR in improving the overall productivity of organizations.
Earlier, the conference opened with Dr. Nasira Jabeen, Dean Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences/Director, IAS, University of the Punjab, and Dr. Mumtaz Anwar Director (PERI), P&D welcoming the chief guests, the international delegates and the participant.
Dr. Nasira Director IAS, in her welcoming address, described the conference as a great opportunity that will be looking beyond the conventional norms of HR and public service delivery. With increasing intellectual contribution from IAS, the conference is an ideal platform for research and dialogue. For this conference, international bodies have been engaged, which include Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). She thanked federal and provincial HEC for their support, and gave a special mention to Prof. Dr. Zafar Iqbal Jadoon (currently associated with University of Houston) for his invaluable contribution to university of the Punjab.
The keynote addresses by Prof. Tom Christensen and Prof. Evan Berman revolved around management in academic institutions and governance and innovation in Asia respectively. Prof. Tom spoke about academic freedom and how universities differ in terms of its main traditions and identities. Moreover, he explained as to how universities understand its contribution to economic growth in the US and worldwide. He concluded that administrative tasks are becoming more important in academic institutions are catering much more to students and focusing on their needs.
Prof Evan Berman observed that leadership matters both in the East and West and it is crucial for the efficient running of any organization. Apart from this, he discussed public sector reforms and the need for them to be inclusive and sustainable. He gave examples of different countries including Seoul, Vietnam and New Zealand and how innovative reforms have transformed the workings of the public sector.
The two-day conference will include panel discussions, keynote addresses, workshops, and research sessions.