Recap: Pathways to Development 2024

Dec 16, 2024 | Pathways to Development

The third ‘Pathways to Development Conference,’ held from December 16-18th 2024, at LUMS, brought together leading academics, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from Pakistan, and beyond to discuss critical governance and inclusion challenges. Jointly organized by the Chaudhry Nazar Muhammad Department of Economics and Mahbub Ul Haq Research Centre (MHRC) at LUMS, Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan (CERP), Institute of Development & Economic Alternatives (IDEAS), Institute of Development Studies at University of Sussex (IDS), Consortium for Development Policy Research (CDPR), and International Growth Centre (IGC), the conference featured 20 engaging sessions showcasing cutting-edge research and thought leadership.

The conference opened with Mr. Maroof A. Syed, President and CEO of CERP, emphasizing, “Governance and inclusion are not abstract concepts, but a lived imperative. Progress demands reimagining governance as a dynamic, participatory process.”

Day 1 tackled key themes such as climate justice, land rights, education, resilience, poverty, and digital innovation. The day began with a panel session on land rights and resilience, and featured perspectives from Dr. Ali Cheema (Vice Chancellor, LUMS and Senior Research Fellow, IDEAS), Ms. Fauzia Viqar (Federal Ombudsperson for Protection Against Harassment of Women), and Dr. Hadia Majid (Economics Chair, LUMS) and was moderated by Dr. Sarah Khan (Open University and Associate Fellow, IDEAS).

Dr. Cheema spoke about the history of land rights in colonial Punjab and the issue of digitalization of land records. On the topic, he urged, “Digitalization must happen, but it must happen correctly. The devil is not in digitalization, but in making sure it happens correctly”.

“Digitalization must happen, but it must happen correctly.”

Ms. Fauzia Viqar went on to highlight the deep rooted discrimination that women face in accessing their legal rights, perpetuated by feudal norms and social barriers; stating, “norms are alive, and well-fed by feudalism. This has resulted in social deprivation and legal barriers in acquiring land”.

Similarly, in a parallel session on education and policy, Dr. Rabea Malik (Senior Research Fellow, IDEAS) spoke on the impact of gender norms on education. She did so by presenting findings from IDEAS research project, Investments in Education and Social Norms, which is being conducted in partnership with The Citizen Foundation and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

She highlighted several critical themes, such as the persistence and evolution of norms, the interplay of education and life outcomes, and macro-micro influences.

Day 2 opened with a keynote address by Dr. Lant Pritchett (London School of Economics), who compared state capability and economic growth across Pakistan, Cambodia, China, and the Philippines. Subsequent discussions on debt restructuring, health governance, and crisis response featured experts like Dr. Ijaz Nabi (IGC & CDPR), Dr. Zafar Mirza (former WHO Director), Dr. Murtaza Syed (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank), and Dr. Ahmad Ahsan (Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh).

The final day’s agenda focused on highlighting themes such as political economy, electoral dynamics, gender development, and social change. The day began with a an insightful address by keynote speaker, Dr. Mazhar Waseem from the University of Manchester, who delivered a thought-provoking session on Pakistan’s taxation system, including the challenges of tax compliance, inefficiencies in enforcement, and the socio-political dynamics shaping Pakistan’s fiscal landscape.

The conference concluded with a paper session on Gender, Development and Social Change featuring Dr. Sarah Khan (Open University and Associate Fellow, IDEAS), Dr. Sohela Nazneen (The Institute of Development Studies), Dr. Rihab Khalid (Angela Ruskin University) and Dr. Fareena Malhi (University of Bath).

Dr. Sarah Khan opened the session by delving into the pre-analysis plan for “Women’s Action Committees and Local Services in Pakistan”, presenting research collected as part of IDEAS research project EGAP MetaKeta V: Women’s Action Committees and Local Services in Pakistan.

She explored the ways in which women can be mobilized to participate in processes to improve local service provision, through discussing “group empowerment training”, women’s participation in collective action movements, the social identity model of collective action, the role of pre-existing and organic networks, hyper-local recruitment and boundaries surrounding women’s mobility.

The session concluded with Dr. Sohela Nazneen (The Institute of Development Studies) presenting her paper, “Do Women Matter? The Politics of Women’s Struggles in South Asia”, as part of the wider Sustaining Power: Women’s Struggles Against Contemporary Backlash in South Asia (SuPWR) project. She delved into the logics of gender justice the dynamics of contention, and the Gendered Political Economy Approach (GPEA).

Participants also had the chance to immerse themselves in the Sustaining Power: Women’s Struggles against Contemporary Backlash in South Asia (SuPWR) Exhibition, which was taking place simultaneously and was displayed around the conference and in the central courtyard. The research based exhibition explored when, how and why women’s power struggles succeed in retaining power and sustaining gains against backlash, and included the work of 16 women’s struggles across 4 countries.

Overall, the conference sparked meaningful dialogue and offered actionable pathways toward a sustainable, inclusive Pakistan. Organizers thanked participants, speakers, and partners for their vital contributions to this impactful event.

🌐 Visit the Pathways to Development official website to learn more


Watch this space for dedicated session briefs, conference recordings and thematic blogs as part of the IDEAS at Pathways to Development 2024 series!