AGAHI, a not-for-profit organization and Country Partner of the Millennium Project (a Global Futures Studies & Research participatory think-tank), signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ignite – National Technology Fund (formerly National ICT R&D Fund) to spadework Pakistan’s future to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution, focusing on technologies and the ecosystem of development initiatives to foster a knowledge economy in Pakistan. The MoU signing ceremony convened at the premises of Ignite in Islamabad.
This strategic link between the two organizations will provide opportunities to shape institutional transformation and thought leaders to complement the traditional department-based structures with trans-disciplinary knowledge capital, focused on identifying societal challenges and their long-term solutions.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution can be described as a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds and have an impact on all disciplines, economies and industries.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Anusha Rahman Khan, Minister of State for Information Technology & Telecom said, “This is a critical partnership which will position Pakistan globally in terms of research and development of the information communication technology sector in the country.”
Mr. Yusuf Hussain, CEO Ignite said, “AGAHI will facilitate the team by identifying emerging trends and opportunities in developing skills and curriculum. This strategic partnership will not only strengthen the existing programs but will also work towards increasing awareness on the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Pakistan; firstly, by creating a taskforce on this significant transition and secondly, by developing a National Strategy paper on the Future of Work.”
Ms. Puruesh Chaudhary, Founder and President of AGAHI said, “The partnership with Ignite reinforces our belief in a much-promising future of the country, where we’ll be encouraging not only our collaborative network but also the global community to harness a future that ensures the happiness of humanity.”
Dr. Shahid Mahmud, Co-Founder Foresight Lab and Chairman/CEO Interactive Group of Companies stressed, “In the age of consciousness, there is a dire need to develop a deeper sense of how the non-state actors – in an environment where the fourth wave is imminent – will be shaping the digital, biological and physical dimensions of futures research.”
The Foresight Lab is a facilitative platform engaging 20 Pakistani universities and thinktanks on developing Pakistan State of Future Index ‘Anticipating 2027’, with an aim to improve the well-being of the people of Pakistan. Pakistan Foresight Initiative is designed to enable decision-makers to opt for a data-driven foresight approach in the policy domain.
AGAHI, with its local partners Interactive Group of Companies and Eikon7, along with other leading academic institutions are creating a model that will have the ability to track the expected state of futures over time at the national, provincial and district levels – which will enable decision-makers to opt for the most informed policy choice.
