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COSS Brochure
Introduction
Recognising the need for an interdisciplinary professional association of social scientists in Pakistan, a group of social scientists from different social science disciplines held a meeting in the last quarter of 1999 to establish such an association. The Council of Social Sciences, Pakistan (COSS) is the result of this effort. It. was registered in June 2000.
The Mission of COSS
The Council is a service-oriented, non-profit, non-partisan, and autonomous organisation of social scientists of Pakistan including non-Pakistanis interested in studying Pakistan. It is committed to the advancement of a pluralistic approach to social sciences while remaining committed to objectivity, rationality and creativity ___ the essential elements of science.
Aims and Objectives
The Council will:
1. work towards the development of an autonomous community of social scientists that can effectively contribute towards the understanding of national problems with its professional knowledge.
2. provide a platform for social scientists from different disciplines to interact with each other and adopt an interdisciplinary approach towards studying Pakistani society and culture. It will strengthen links between social sciences and natural sciences.
3. act as a link between social science faculties of universities, research institutes, and civil society organisations___ engaged in research and teaching of social sciences; and disseminate information about their research.
4. create awareness among social scientists and the public regarding the state of social sciences in the country and suggest means and mechanisms for upgrading them.
5. foster scientific approach for analysing national problems among the citizens of Pakistan.
6. encourage contacts and interaction between Pakistani social scientists and those of other countries and international organisations like UNESCO and regional academic and research organisations.
7. make efforts to raise the standard of social sciences, and evaluate the research work of social scientists through peer-reviews.
8. develop a code of conduct for social scientists.
Membership of COSS
The Council has three categories of members:
(i) Members (ii) Life Members (iii) Institutional Members
Eligibility for Membership:
a. All social scientists engaged in teaching and research, Pakistani or non-Pakistani, with a minimum qualification of MA/MSc in any of the following social science disciplines are eligible to become members. The disciplines include: Administrative Sciences, Anthropology, Archaeology, Area Studies, Demography, Economics, Education, Geography, History, International Relations, Journalism and Mass Communication, Law, Library Science, Linguistics, Pakistan Studies, Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Strategic Studies, and Women's Studies.
b. Distinguished scholars in non-social science fields can also become members with the approval of the Executive Committee
What COSS can do for its Members and Community of Social Scientists
It can:
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provide a platform for articulating the problems of social scientists in the performance of their professional duties.
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publicise research papers and books, and provide information about research work and professional activities of social scientists.
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help researchers in the procurement of documents that may not be easily available to them locally.
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when financially possible, give research grants for sound and interdisciplinary research projects.
What COSS can do for the Members residing outside Pakistan
It can:
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put them in contact with scholars, research institutions, libraries and archives in Pakistan and provide information regarding documents of the Government of Pakistan and facilitate their access to them.
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arrange meetings with scholars in Pakistan to share their findings with them.
What COSS can do for the Government
It can:
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mobilise social scientists to assist the Government in policy-making.
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provide information, data, and publications required to the Government.
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assist in the planning and evaluation of research projects initiated by the Government ministries, departments, and research institutes.
What COSS can do for Civil Society Organisations
It can:
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give technical advice in formulating research projects.
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certify the soundness of research projects of civil society organisations for submission to Government and donor agencies.
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help train research staff of civil society organisations.
Linkages with International Organisations
Since its inception COSS has developed contacts with a number of international and regional organisations such as UNESCO, ActionAid, Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) and Social Science Research Council (SSRC),New York.
The Association of Asian Social Science Research Councils (AASSREC), an organisation of national social science research councils, academies and institutes has admitted COSS as Associate Member in 2005. AASSREC has 13 regular members and two associate members.
COSS is a Founding Member of South Asian Sociological Society (SASS) consisting of sociological organisations from six SAARC countries
Dr. Akhtar Hameed Khan Memorial Award
COSS has established an annual Award of Rs. 50,000/- in memory of the renowned social worker and social scientist late Dr. Akhtar Hameed Khan. The Award is given with the financial support of National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) every year to the best book by a Pakistani author published during a financial year, written in any of the following fields (i) rural/urban development (ii) peace (iii) poverty and its alleviation and (iv) gender discrimination.
Publications of COSS
Books
- Inayatullah (ed.). Associations of Social Scientists: An Analytical Study. 2006. <http://www.cosspak.org/publications.php?id=7>
- Inayatullah, Rubina Saigol and Pervez Tahir (eds.). Social Sciences in Pakistan: A Profile. 2005. <http://www.cosspak.org/publications.php?id=6>
- S. Akbar Zaidi (ed.). The Social Sciences in the 1990s. 2003. <http://www.cosspak.org/publications.php?id=5>
- Inayatullah (ed.). Towards Understanding the State of Science in Pakistan. 2003. http://www.cosspak.org/publications.php?id=4
- S. H. Hashmi (ed.). The State of Social Sciences in Pakistan. (reprinted, 2001). <http://www.cosspak.org/publications.php?id=8>
Monographs
- Rubina Saigol, "The State and the Limits of Counter- Terrorism: The Case of Pakistan and Sri Lanka", 2006, Pp. 57.
- Rubina Saigol, "Becoming a Modern Nation: Educational Discourse in the Early Years of Ayub Khan (1958-64)", 2003, Pp. 52.
- S. Akbar Zaidi, "Dismal State of Social Sciences in Pakistan," 2002, Pp. 54.
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Ayesha Jalal, "Religion as Difference, Religion as Faith: Paradoxes of Muslim Identity", 2002, Pp. 20.
Bulletins
COSS issues a Bulletin which carries developments in social sciences in academia institutes and NGOs.
Publications under Preparation
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An Overview of Development of Social Sciences in Pakistan from 1947 to 2000: Trends, Problems and Prospects.
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PhD and MPhil Research in Social Sciences: A Study of Theses produced in Public Universities of Pakistan from 1948 to 2001.
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Changing Profile of Social Scientists: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study of Teachers of Social Sciences in Public Universities of Pakistan from 1963 to 2001.
COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES PAKISTAN (COSS)
Website: www.cosspak.org
E-mail address: info@cosspak.org
Phone: 92-51-2817093,
Mailing Address: COSS, # 17, Royal Inn Plaza, F-8, Markaz, Islamabad (Pakistan)
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