A delegation from the University of Warmia and Mazury (UWM) in Olsztyn, headed by the Rector, Prof. Jerzy Przyborowski, together with the University's Vice Rector for Internationalization, Prof. Paweł Wielgosz and the Director of the Institute of Political Science at UWM, Prof. Arkadiusz Żukowski, hosted the ‘1st Pakistani-Polish International Scientific Conference’ in Karachi, Pakistan.
The conference was held on 6-7 December 2022 and was organised by the Department of International Relations of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology (FUUAST) and the Institute of Political Science (INP) of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn.
This was the first scientific event of its kind in the history of bilateral relations between the countries and is expected to be a regular event in the future. The theme of the conference was 'Pakistan-Poland relations: opportunities and challenges in a changing world'. Preparations for the conference took nearly five months, with Dr. Faisal Javid and Dr. Magdalena Kumelska-Koniecko coordinating the work. The venue of the conference was the FAUUST university, and the conference hall was provided by the Institute of Business Administration in Karachi. It was held in a hybrid mode.
The conference was held under the patronage of the Higher Education Commission in Islamabad, the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology in Karachi, His Magnificence the Rector of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, the Polish Political Science Association, the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in Karachi, DHA Suffa University, as well as the Pakistani Journal of International Affairs and the Journal of European Affairs. On the day before the conference (5 December), a delegation from UWM participated in a unique meeting, which was the ceremonial inauguration of the Conference, and whose guest of honour was the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan - Dr Arif Alvi.
- 'The Conference was opened by the President of Pakistan, Arif Alvi, who came specially from Islamabad to meet us' reported Rector Prof. Jerzy Przyborowski.
The ceremony took place at the Governor's Residence in Karachi. In addition to President Dr. A. Alvi, speeches were made by HM Rector Prof. Jerzy Przyborowski and Prof. Arkadiusz Żukowski, as well as Dr. Asghar Dashti (Director of the Department of International Relations at Urdu University), Prof. Akber Zaidi (Director of IBA), Prof. Muhammad Ziauddin (Vice-Chancellor/Rector of Urdu University). Among the invited guests were a representative of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Islamabad in the person of the Third Secretary, Mr Sergiusz Moskal, representatives of the authorities of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science&Technology, DHA Suffa University and the Sindh provincial government.
The event was covered by all major, Pakistani electronic and print media as well as news agencies (information about the event was included in the main news of Pakistan TV). The conference programme was divided into eight sessions (inaugural; six thematic sessions covering history, political, economic, military, technological and cultural issues; closing). The deliberations in the thematic sessions were preceded by a ceremonial session inaugurating the conference, during which Prof. Muhammad Ziauddin - Vice-Chancellor/Rector of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science&Technology, Prof. Jerzy A. Przyborowski - Rector of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Prof. Akber Zaidi - Director of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Mr. Maciej Pisarski - Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Islamabad, Prof. Arkadiusz Żukowski - Director of the Institute of Political Science at UWM and Dr. Asghar Ali Dashti - Head of the Department of International Relations at FUUAST. During the conference, participants listened to 29 papers delivered by representatives of the Pakistani (not only from the university in Karachi, but also from the universities in Islamabad, Lahore and Gilgit-Baltistan), Polish (in addition to UWM, also from the Jagiellonian University and the University of Lodz), Italian and Chinese academia. The speeches aroused great interest among the participating students of the Department of International Relations, who had a lot of questions especially for the representatives of the UWM delegation.
INP staff members delivered four papers: Dr. Magdalena Kumelska-Koniecko - 'Remarks on the Polish Refugees in Pakistan. The Example of Country Club Camp and Malir in Karachi', Dr. Ewa Czarkowska - 'Pakistani Perception of Sino-Russian Strategic Partnership in The Context of The US Indo-Pacific Strategy', Dr Piotr Lotarski - 'Polish Perspective on the Development of Pakistani-Polish Cooperation in the Military Field', Prof. Arkadiusz Żukowski 'Pakistan in Poland's Foreign Policy. From the Past to the Present Day' (as keynote speaker). Prof. A. Żukowski also chaired one of the sessions (Pakistan-Poland Political Relations: Challenges and Opportunities). During the conference, Rector Prof. J. Przyborowski and Vice Rector Prof. P. Wielgosz held talks with the authorities of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology headed by Vice Chancellor/Rector Prof. Muhammad Ziauddin and toured the university campus and met with students. The concluding session of the conference was graced by the presence of Sindh Provincial Governor Kamran Tessori and speeches by, among others: UWM Vice Rector Prof. Paweł Wielgosz, General Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Karachi Mirza Omair Baig, INP Director Prof. Arkadiusz Żukowski and Head of the Department of International Relations of FUUAST Dr. Asghar Dashti.
A special publication entitled "Conference Booklet" has been prepared electronically in connection with the conference. "Conference Booklet" (pp. 175) consisting of nine parts (Detailed information on patronage, Information on partner universities and departments/institutes, Information on the agreement between partner universities, Information on the conference, Conference abstracts, Profiles of speakers/session chairs/guests, Information on the conference schedule, Information on the conference venue, Information on conference partners), see: https://fuuast.edu.pk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Conference-Booklet-of-1st-Pak-Pol-Int-Sc-Con-6-7-Dec-22-1.pdf
On the last day of their stay in Karachi - representatives of the UWM delegation - laid wreaths on Polish graves, including those of refugees who found shelter in Pakistan in the 1940s in transit camps - Kweta, Karachi and Malir - after, the evacuation of General Władysław Anders' army from the USSR. Between 1942 and 1945, some 21,000 Polish refugees, mainly women and children, passed through the Pakistani transit camps. The UWM delegation also visited the graves of Poles from the Polish Armed Forces who arrived in Pakistan immediately after the Second World War and made fundamental contributions to the building of the Pakistan Air Force and civil aviation. Particularly meritorious in this field was General Wladyslaw Turowicz, who also contributed to the creation of the foundations of the space programme (he is called the Godfather of Pakistan Space Programme). In these ceremonies, the UWM delegation was accompanied by FUUAST faculty authorities received by Rev. Father Asher Liagat of the Archdiocese of Karachi. In addition, the UWM delegation made brief visits to the Pakistan Air Force Museum (where there is a hall commemorating General Wladyslaw Turowicz) and the Pakistan Maritime Museum. While in Karachi, the UWM delegation held meetings with the authorities and staff of the Department of International Relations, FUUAST, and the Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Karachi, Mirza Omair Baiga.
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The Pakistani hosts of the Conference showed great hospitality to the UWM delegation headed by Rector Prof. J. Przyborowski. In addition to the university authorities and faculty, Honorary Consul Mirza Omair Baig, special thanks go to two young professors: Javaid Faisal and Muhammad Arif Khan, who ‘from morning to late evening’ provided attentive care to the members of the delegation. ‘1st Pakistani-Polish International Scientific Conference’ was a success - both academically and politically. As Rector Prof. Jerzy Przyborowski said in an interview with UWM FM Radio, the agenda of the conference was very tight, but at the same time fruitful and interesting. Although, the conference was mainly concerned with the political-economic and military relations between Poland and Pakistan. As stated by Rector Prof. J. Przyborowski, opportunities for academic cooperation, staff and student exchanges were also discussed on the occasion. Following this visit, directions for scientific and educational cooperation will be drafted. Joint declarations were made regarding future undertakings. Rector Prof. Jerzy Przyborowski admitted that the University of Warmia and Mazury was interested in the university community in Karachi.
- 'We tried to show our university from every possible side. You could see the interest on the part of the Pakistanis - they asked us questions, took photos with us, were interested in how to study in Poland', said Prof. J. Przyborowski.
The conference was an unprecedented event in the history of the countries' bilateral relations. It became a very worthy celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Poland and Pakistan, as well as a stimulus for the development of mutual cooperation, not only in the scientific area.