Action Plan for 2012

1. Study the impact Universities have on local/regional/national development.

so far only one project has taken off at the National College of Arts, R'pindi; we had three meetings with staff at NCA, R'pindi, to mobilise researchers, discuss how to study 'what impact the NCA, which is no more than six years old, had on development of Rawalpindi', which is even more difficult when you study a cultural institution, which teaches fine arts, architecture & design, and how would you measure its impact; impact the graduates and their work and when self/employed they had, the teaching staff/artists with their work, exhibitions and cultural events organised by NCA had on development of R'pindi; on the face of the city, on the city as a market place, on the educational system of the city; since NCA-R'pindi is only six years old, we should not expect a complete picture, but in this case use the study more as an attempt to learn how to undertake such research, how can we measure on an input-output basis; a first step is to identify and learn from similar studies that may have been undertaken elsewhere, the next to collect empirical data, like output of graduates and where they work now; the turn-over of teaching staff, publications, research work, cultural events, etc.; sample studies of knowledge about the NCA among sections of society in Rawalpindi.

We will hold another consultation with other people interested in the topic, to find out how to initiate more studies in this line of studies.

2.  Comparative analysis of higher education systems in countries incl. Pakistan.

so far we have had an interview with only one candidate, Ms.Sara Bano, Lecturer at Air University, who has undertaken already similar studies of a comparison of Pakistan with Japan, and with several European countries, and needs to find out now to focus a Ph.D. dissertation she wishes to undertake on a comparison of Pakistan with which country; we discussed, that the study willfirst have to justify the selection of countries, than look into the aspects of administrative control (federal, provincial, autonomy level, public, private, funding sources, than management system of the universities, focus on subjects, teaching, research, academic conceptual/theoretical biases in their approaches, etc.

   3.   Analyse the curricula offered in social science studies in Pakistani Universities.

   4.   Following the recent surge in studies on the bad situation of education in Pakistan, which give a terrible picture of the situation, but little realistic proposals for addressing the problems, we at COSS are thinking of starting aconsultation/brainstorming on developing solutions. 

• Updating the COSS website: www.cosspak.org

• Bringing out the planned publications.

• AHK Award 2010 Presentation.

• Visiting Social Sciences Faculties at Universities to set up focal points of COSS for the advancement and networking of social science in Pakistan.

• Mobilising new individual & institutional Members.

• Organising social science colloquia on new trends in research methodology in collaboration with DAAD & HEC.

• Pursue the concept of Universities as Innovation Centers for local development in collaboration with the Planning Commission & HEC. For details please click here

• Extending COSS relations with social science associations in other countries.