Department of Political Science and International Relations (DPSIR) at the University of Management and Technology (UMT) has formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI). The MoU was signed by the Chairperson of DPSIR, Dr. Usman Askari, and the Director General of ISSI, Ambassador Sohail Mehmood. The signing ceremony was attended by Assistant Professor Dr. Sadia Kazmi and Lecturer Saad Malik.
ISSI is currently operating five Centers of Excellence focusing on thematic and geographical areas such as India, China, the Middle East, Afghanistan, Africa, as well as arms control and disarmament. It also runs internship programs for youth and has initiated significant platforms such as the Next Generation International Security Workshop and the Next Generation South Asia Security Conference. The MoU ensures active engagement of DPSIR’s faculty and students in these initiatives.
The collaboration aims to identify research themes through mutual consultation. Kashmir was highlighted as a priority area, leading to the proposal of establishing a Kashmir Resource Centre at ISSI and a Kashmir Learning Centre at DPSIR. Discussions also included the importance of decolonizing traditional Western International Relations by incorporating the perspectives of Chinese, Russian, and Turkish scholars.
ISSI collaborates with prominent organizations such as Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF), and the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). DPSIR anticipates future engagements with these institutions as well. To ensure effective coordination, both parties agreed to appoint focal persons to facilitate collaboration between ISSI and UMT campuses in Lahore and Sialkot.