Our Theme and Mission
Peace, democracy, economic progress, and co-existence all require regional connectivity and dialogue between socio-political multipliers. South and Central Asia, unlike Europe, has not had a major focus on regional and trans-regional integration. Despite their cultural similarities, South and Central Asia, as well as South Asia itself, recently had an unstable relationship.
Their common history, however, dates back to the Great Kushans, who ruled Central Asia, Afghanistan, and what is now Pakistan from the 2nd to 3rd centuries BC. The shared history and cultural linkages provide us the tools for regional integration, cooperation and building prosper nations together in the region. However, the security situation in Afghanistan has changed dramatically throughout the region. Through cross-cultural conversation, people-to-people interaction, and debates, South and Central Asian peoples might help Afghanistan normalize its political and security challenges.
The Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) Pakistan and the National Dialogue Forum (NDF) have created an opportunity for young students from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Iran to connect by participating in our summer workshop program in Pakistan. The goal of this event is to bring together a diverse group of young socio-political multipliers from several countries, races, and cultures under one roof. The purpose is to provide them with the chance to exchange political and economic perspectives on global events, as well as to discover how these developments may affect nations in South Asia and Central Asia in particular. Our summer workshop program focuses mainly on promoting peace and stability through connectivity in the region, especially between Pakistan and Afghanistan. In addition, via education, tourism, and cultural exchange, establish cultural and civic relationships that serve as the foundation for people-to-people relations in the Central and South Asian area.
Approach
The program is designed to be academic and participatory, with participants encouraged to discuss and learn from one another's experiences. Experts from various fields will lead sessions to give the present, most recent and historical context on the topics of this summer workshop program. Furthermore, group discussions/brainstorming, indoor and outdoor games, cultural and movie nights, hikes, bonfires, and other activities will be held for this purpose.
Selection Criteria
Students of Graduate and Post-Graduate degree programs from Pakistan, South and Central Asia from age 18 to 30 years are eligible to apply. Participants must have a background of Social Science, Political Science, International Relations, Development Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies or other related subjects relevant to the summer workshop topic.
After shortlisting and a successful interview, thirty students will be selected for the summer workshop program.
How to Apply
Interested students from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia should complete the online application form available at: https://forms.gle/SkntvLHEWnMZH7UG8
Short-listed candidates will be interviewed online and in-person.
Place and Date
The International Summer Workshop will take place in Pakistan in summer 2022. The exact venue and date of the event will be shared with the selected participants.
Deadline
Application Deadline: 24th July 2022
Selection interviews will be conducted online or in-person by the selection committee in the following weeks.
For Queries
In case of further queries contact us at info(at)ndf.org.pk or Islamabad(at)hss.de.