Speakers for community-based research for social change

Speakers at a two-week training workshop on Monday called for research for bringing about social change in Pakistan, saying that the country will be unable to compete with the developing world if its universities failed to undertake the research which propelled the developed nations forward.
They were addressing an audience which inclusded around forty Ph.D and M.Phil researchers during the opening ceremony of a two-week international training workshop entitled "Social Research Methods" that kicked off on Monday at Area Study Centre Far East & South East Asian, University of Sindh Jamhsoro.
The workshop will continue till February 17, 2017 wherein renowned research experts from University of Malaysia Perlis Professor Dr Zuraidah Muhammad Zain and Dr Huzili Hussein would be facilitating the workshop as resource person. Expressing his views as event president, the vice chancellor Professor Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat said that he saw a 'disconnect' between the researcher saw the three universities and the masses of the area which needed to be plugged through community based research.
He stressed the need for universities situated at Jamshoro increased involvement towards improving the lives of masses through relevant research interventions. "Jamshoro comprises three largest universities but have they in any way improved the lot of local people"? Dr Burfat questioned. "Therefore, the universities must step ahead to elevate people well-being", he maintained.
He further said that the average age of people in Japan was between 80 and 90 years because people there led a happier, healthier, longer and more product life by engaging research initiatives even after retirement adding that they avoided indulging in other social addictions whereas people in Pakistan comparatively lived for a much shorter span as the universities here had not had much of research activity to offer.
The vice chancellor emphasised that universities must create a vibrant research environment to give human energy a positive channel that could usher change in society.
Dr Huzili Hussain extended a compliment to Dr Hamadullah Kakepoto upon having organised a direly needed event at University of Sindh and said that research was a vital instrument of transforming people's lives by identifying their problems and finding their solution accordingly.
"This is why; a researcher possesses a fundamental role and responsibility in society", he underlined. Professor Dr Zuraidah Muhammad Zain said that she was deeply impressed by the talent of the young researchers of the varsity adding that she saw in them an enormous 'take-off' potential as future researchers.
She said that the new social research methods were convenient to learn as they were just a click away from the scholars on Google yet she stressed the need for live human interface to maximise the learning. "We have just come here to interact with the scholars, because I believe the students can better learn through interactive engagement rather finding related material on Google", she added. Director Area Study Centre Professor Dr HamadullahKakepoto and Dean Faculty of Social Sciences Professor Dr Nagina Parveen also addressed at the event and highlighted the advantages of research methodology.