LUMS, John Hopkins University institutionalize study of Pakistan in US

WASHINGTON, April 18 (APP):America’s John Hopkins University and Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) have joined hands to institutionalize study of Pakistan in the United States as the two countries work to find common grounds for working together for regional peace and stability in South Asia, including Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States was the chief guest at the event organized by John Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and LUMS and delivered a talk on ‘Pakistan’s place in the world. The event was held at John Hopkins University in Washington.
Dr. Vali Nasr, Dean, John Hopkins SAIS opened the floor by introducing the Ambassador and Dr. Joshua White who contributed to the conversation as a discussant.
Ambassador Chaudhry described relations between the US and Pakistan as very important that has been fully understood and realized by all segments of Pakistani policy.
In the backdrop of the current state of affairs between the two countries, Ambassador Chaudhry said that in their interactions with the US government, Pakistani officials had been impressing upon their American interlocutors that both countries have a great deal of work to do together.
“This required continued engagement at all levels. The two sides could work together to achieve the shared objective of peace and stability in Afghanistan,” he said while emphasizing on Pakistan’s strong desire to have work with the United States for achieving common objectives.
While sketching out the changing dynamics of global politics that had been playing out in the South Asia region, Ambassador Chaudhry said that the realignments were defining the broad contours of emerging world order.
He said that Pakistan, for its part, had fared well in these challenging and changing times. The country had defeated terrorism, the economy was picking up and attracting investors from across the globe and, in spite of challenges, the democratic process in the country was on track.
The Ambassador congratulated the two Universities for their initiative to institutionalize the study of Pakistan in the United States.
The conversation with the Ambassador concluded the two-day long Conference titled “Pakistan Beyond Seventy: The Long View” jointly organized by SAIS and LUMS with participation from think tanks and academia from Pakistan and the US.
In the evening, the Ambassador hosted a reception for the participants of the Conference titled “Pakistan Beyond Seventy: The Long View” at the Embassy. Distinguished personalities from the US government, think tanks and academia were also invited.
In his brief remarks professor Rasool Baksh Raees said that in spite of periodical unease in bilateral relations, both countries continue to work together as there were people on both sides who fully realized the importance of this important relationship in the context of regional and global peace.
The speakers lauded efforts on both sides to find common grounds for achieving strategic objectives without compromising their national interests and inspiration. They expressed the hope that, as in the past, the two countries would be able to overcome their differences and will continue to work together in multiple areas.
Ambassador Chaudhry highlighted importance of the multi-faceted ties between the two countries in fields including education, culture, economic, defense and security. He expressed the hope that the two countries would continue to have better relations for their mutual benefits.