A one-day International Multidisciplinary conference on “Pakistan-Turkiye Relations” was held at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) yesterday. Vice Chancellor AIOU, Prof. Dr. Nasir Mahmood presided over the opening ceremony while the Ambassador of Turkiye to Pakistan, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Pacaci was the chief guest.
H.E. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Pacaci said that Pakistan and Turkiye have deep brotherly relations, both countries have always helped each other in difficult times. He said that Pakistan and Turkiye have historical and ethnic ties and they are also connected to each other culturally. The ambassador appreciated AIOU and Yunus Emre Institute for organizing this conference to further strengthen the brotherly relations between the two countries.
Vice-Chancellor, AIOU Prof. Dr. Nasir Mahmood said that this university pays special attention to cooperation with international universities. He said that this conference is a step towards strengthening the research and shared educational interests of both countries. AIOU has signed several MoUs for educational, research, and exchange programs with Turkish universities/institutions including Istanbul University, Ibn Khaldoun University, Anadolu University, ILKE Foundation, and TUGVA Foundation. Dr. Nasir said that AIOU and Istanbul University jointly held an international conference in Istanbul last year, and now We have organized this conference to promote Pak-Turkiye relations and explore more areas of bilateral cooperation.
The speakers of the conference said that we must also recognize the challenges faced by Islamophobia and focus on education, dialogue, and awareness to deal with Islamophobia. Speakers reiterated the commitment to strengthen cooperation between Pakistani and Turkish universities in science and technology, arts, and socio-cultural fields. They added that socio-cultural research and exchange programs are necessary to promote understanding between the two countries which can help promote economic development and growth. We can explore the ways through socio-cultural research to shape the values, beliefs, and behaviors of the people of Pakistan and Turkiye.
Director, Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Centers Pakistan, Dr. Halil Tokar, Dean, Faculty of Sciences AIOU, Prof. Dr. Irshad Ahmed Arshad and Dean, Faculty Arabic and Islamic Studies, Prof. Dr. Shah Mohyuddin Hashmi were also among the speakers.