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PESHAWAR, Oct 24 (APP):The HRCON’25 – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Edition marked a major milestone in advancing the conversation on human resource transformation, youth empowerment, and innovation in the digital age.
Held here on Friday, the one-day conference brought together business leaders, HR professionals, policymakers, and academics to explore strategies for preparing Pakistan’s workforce for the future.
Organized by Innovative Advisory in collaboration with academia and key industry partners, the event served as a dynamic platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and collaboration across sectors.
Jawad Amin, CEO Innovative Advisory, emphasized the need for academia – industry partnerships to address the evolving challenges of the modern workforce.
In his keynote address on “Empowering Youth in the Age of Disruption,” Ayub Zakori, CEO Zakori Industries, highlighted adaptability, digital literacy, and creative thinking as the core competencies needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
The first panel, “From Traditional HR Practices to Transformational HR Practices,” brought together Sohaib Hassan CHRO, Pakistan Single Window, Saeed Ali Gohar, Founder and CEO, HRPN and Techployment, and Nouman Ali, Head HR, Qatar Charity, moderated by Sajid Fahim.
The discussion explored how HR is shifting from administrative operations to strategic, people-driven leadership.
Keynote speakers Kamran Rizvi, Co-Founder, School of Leadership and Maliha Husain, Executive Director, Mehergarh addressed the importance of ethical leadership and creating safe, respectful workplaces.
The second segment, “Bridging the Gap Between Industry, Academia, and Policymakers,” featured Prof. Dr. Nouman, IM Sciences, Prof. Dr. Zia Ubaid, IM Studies, Tahira Kaleem, EU TVET and Founder, Women’s Avenue, and Dr. Shakeel Khan Director, BIC UoP, moderated by Muhammad Qureshi.
Speakers emphasized the need for cross-sector collaboration to build a talent pipeline aligned with future market needs.
International thought leaders Diane Margaret, Chicago, USA and Asima Azim, Senior HR Consultant, EY UK shared global insights on innovation, inclusivity, and workforce transformation.
Prof. Dr. Ghazala Yasmin Vice Chancellor, Women University Swabi and Zahid Mubarik, CEO, HR Metrics delivered powerful talks on advancing HR standards and leadership for organizational excellence.
The third panel, “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Women at the Workplace,” featured Shahab-ud-Din CEO, PEDO and Namkeen Peshawari, Founder, Trans Support Group, moderated by Dr. Muhammad Muazzam Sharif, highlighting the role of inclusive policies in promoting gender balance and diversity at work.
Afternoon sessions included Engr. Tariq Khattak, Executive Director, Parvaz Foundation on “Service Leadership – Leading Beyond Self,” and a panel on “Digitalization and the Importance of Technology in Today’s World,” featuring Dr. Safia Ahmad, VC, SBBWU, Dr. Akif Khan, MD, KPIT Board, Rashid Aman, Regional Chief, SMEDA, and Tauseef H. Farooqi, Ex-Chairman, NEPRA, moderated by Waleed Paracha.
International speaker Noor Fatima Chaudhry, Doctoral Researcher, Indiana University Bloomington, USA offered valuable insights into global HR trends and the critical role of academia in shaping future workforces.
In the concluding remarks, speakers lauded HRCON’25 as a pioneering initiative in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, symbolizing collaboration, innovation, and youth empowerment.
The event concluded with a memento distribution and networking lunch, marking HRCON’25 KP Edition as a landmark step toward building a more skilled, inclusive, and innovation-driven workforce in Pakistan.