In The Now is a podcast project by Tezhib Undergraduate Research Journal at Habib University. Our podcasts are short discussions with field experts on themes including recent social and political developments(both global and regional), historical events and movements, policy and law, as well as culture and the arts.
In this episode, we talk about the recent underpinnings of the 2022 Flash Floods in Pakistan and the general response to the Humanitarian Crisis. We discuss the situation from an environmental justice, local action, and sustainable urban planning perspective.
For this talk, Dr. Sahaab Bader Sheikh who has experience in research on natural disasters and environmental and natural resource economics, and Managerial Editor Tezhib, Imaan Azeem Uqaili sit down to unpack the lessons learned and mitigation strategies with regard to the crisis.
Reach out to us at tezhib.idrac@habib.edu.pk or https://habib.edu.pk/tezhib/
Given the prevalence of positivism in scientific study, subjective mediums, like creative expression and imagination are often not taken seriously in academia. We already do apply imagination, as we cannot exist without it, but realising its essentiality and potential, can help us devise fresh ways of thinking and discovering. Dr. Moeini discusses the need for applying imagination in academic study and shares some examples from his own pedagogical experience.
Reach out to us at tezhib.idrac@habib.edu.pk or https://habib.edu.pk/tezhib/
On February 1st, 2021, Myanmar's quasi-democratic government came to an end when the military surrounded the parliament houses and detained the President, State Chancellor, cabinet ministers, and other civilian officials. The reason behind the coup is what the military leadership alleges as fraudulent elections, an allegation that has been termed null and void by the Election Commission. The general public has strongly resisted this sudden shift. From banging pots and pans to openly coming out on streets and calling for freedom, the Burmese have indicated their support for the detained civilian leadership. Despite the violent crackdowns against the protestors, the popular resistance against the new rule has only grown. But why is Myanmar's military so powerful? What has the systemic exclusion of women from the country’s political representation to do with it? And how will the future of the Rohingya community unfold?
To find this and more, we sat down with Dr. Elisabeth Olivius to understand the many facets of the present political turmoil in Myanmar.
Reach out to us at tezhib.idrac@habib.edu.pk or https://habib.edu.pk/tezhib/
In Bolivia, former president Jeanine Anez has been arrested over a political crisis that ousted her opponent Evo Morales from power in 2019. In this episode, we place the current political crisis in its socio-historical context. What events led to the coup in 2019? Who are the main political actors in the present situation? What is the role of foreign parties involved in the crisis? And how does the socio-politics of other countries across the Andes affect the situation in Bolivia?
Reach out to us at tezhib.idrac@habib.edu.pk or https://habib.edu.pk/tezhib/
Themrise Khan has been serving as consultant and working in the development sector on various research projects for 25 years, in Pakistan as well as Canada. In this episode, she shares her experience working with foreign and local NGOs, while reflecting on the role of foreign funded projects in developing countries. The politics of agencies and foreign aid in Pakistan is a significant factor to consider for a better understanding of social development.
About the Guest Discussant:
Themrise Khan is currently serving as Executive Committee Member at Emerging Scholars and Practitioners in Migration Issues and Associate Member at Centre for Global Human Movement Group, University of Cambridge. She acquired her MSc in Development Management from London School of Economics and Political Science. She has worked with several bi-lateral and multi-lateral agencies, and including, but not limited to; DFID UK, Global Affairs Canada, the International Labour Organization, the UN Agency for Migration, the International Centre for Migration Policy Development and the World Bank Global Knowledge Partnership on Migration. She has formerly taught courses in qualitative research methods and the politics of overseas development aid at Habib University as adjunct faculty.
Reach out to us at tezhib.idrac@habib.edu.pk or https://habib.edu.pk/tezhib/
In this podcast Dr. Jessica Werneke, scholar of Modern European History, joins us to discuss the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
About the conflict:
The Nagorno-Karabakh enclave is the subject of a protracted conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In this episode we discuss the historical development of the conflict, its geopolitical repercussions, the demographics of the region, past efforts towards peace-making, as well as the involvement of foreign actors in the conflict.
Reach out to us at tezhib.idrac@habib.edu.pk or https://habib.edu.pk/tezhib/