— Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi says shared literary heritage, exchange of writers, and poets can easily create a soft image besides solving complications beyond territorial disputes
— Urdu corridor diplomacy will work like Kartarpur corridor: Dr Mujahid Mansoori
By Raza Ruman
Speakers of Punjab University Invention to innovation summit have suggested that Pakistan and India can improve relations through Urdu Corridor between the two neighbourly but distanced states.
Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi, a distinguished academic and provost of University of Management & Technology (UMT), said, “We must remember that Urdu Corridor or any other common language-based passage with neighbours can easily create a soft image of each nation besides understanding of other’s point of view,” he said while speaking at an interactive session on media, academia and industry linkages to promote research for innovation and sustainable development.
The interactive session was hosted by Dr Shabbir Sarwar on behalf of the Office of Research, Innovation & Commercialization (ORIC) at the Institute of Chemical Engineering of Punjab University. Media experts Dr Mujahid Mansoori, and Dr Shafique Jallundhry also joined the session as guests of honour while Institute of Education and Research (IER) Director Prof Dr Abdul Qayyum Chaudhry, School of Communication Studies Director Prof Dr Abida Ashraf, UMT’s School of Media & Communication Studies Dean Prof Dr Anjum Zia shared their thoughts on media, academia and industry linkages for innovation and sustainable development.
University of Lahore Dean Media School Dr Frasat rasool Department of Public Relations & Advertising Chairperson Associate Professor Dr Faiza Latif; Institute of Chemical Engineering & Technology’s Industrial Liaison Coordinator Associate Professor Dr Yousuf Jamal; University of Lahore’s School of Media Studies representative, journalists Mian Habib, Ahsan Raza, Muhsen Ali Turk, and Ali Arshad also shared their point of views on media, academia and industry linkages.
Dr Mujahid Mansoori said that the revival of people to people diplomacy and the Urdu corridor would help rebuild trust and strengthen ties.
As the vice chancellor of Lahore’s Government College University in 2021, Dr Asghar Zaidi proposed a ‘Literary Corridor’ to connect poets, writers, and critics from Pakistan and India. “When we connect with other nations through writers, poets, and intellectuals, we will be able to solve complications beyond territorial disputes,” he told the audience.
“I always discuss and focus on the intersection of higher education and technology and its transformative potential,” he said, and shared his vision and insights about the University of Management & Technology, integration of teachers and students with artificial intelligence, evolving landscape of education, and role of academic collaboration in shaping the future of learning.
Earlier, Dr. Shafiq Jullandhry said that development communication support should be applied to help resolve issues and behavioural change in society.
Mian Habib said that acknowledgement and appreciation of others’ good work is required for team building and development. Dr Abida Ashraf said that media media-academia and industry linkage were important for development. Ahsan Raza and Ali Arshad said that researchers were not producing quality research that could help deal with the contemporary issues of society.
