Yearly Archives: 2023

Read more about the article Mafias in Modern Times

Mafias in Modern Times

The term ‘Mafia’ traces its roots to Sicily, where it emerged as a covert international organisation. Initially perceived as a group formed to resist oppression, it swiftly morphed into a nefarious criminal organisation. This transformation was notably transported to the United States in the late 19th Century by Italian immigrants. Known by various monikers such as the Syndicate, the Mob, and Cosa Nostra (literally ‘Our Thing’), the Mafia has etched a distinct identity in the criminal underworld.
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Read more about the article Pakistan’s Digital Readiness in Education

Pakistan’s Digital Readiness in Education

With the global world adapting rapidly to digitalisation, the education sector is also transforming by inculcating various digital practices for making knowledge accessible and consequently bridging the educational access divide between different socioeconomic groups. Governments around the world have created favourable policy environments to facilitate such transformations.
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Read more about the article Minsk-Moscow Nuclear Rendezvous

Minsk-Moscow Nuclear Rendezvous

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Moscow and Minsk, a supranational union called the Union State, agreed to station tactical nuclear weapons (TNWs) in Belarus on 25 May 2023, a decision in consideration since December 2021. Russia delivered the first batch of weapons in June 2023, with the rest expected to be deployed by year-end. In August 2023, Poland also confirmed the movement of weapons.
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Read more about the article Ethical Challenges in AI & Global Cooperation

Ethical Challenges in AI & Global Cooperation

Research and Development on Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been making strides for several years but it has only recently started making headlines on an almost daily basis given its impact on various aspects of day-to-day life. Its integration into the systems and processes of the digital world has brought unprecedented revolutions in almost every field, from science and technology to art and literature.
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Read more about the article Redesign

Redesign

At a recent conference, I took the opportunity during my remarks to posit the term ‘redesign’ as a discursive element that should inform our engagement with society. This differs from the standard refrain of ‘reform’ that many economists and policy pundits employ. Reform is a standard-issue term that is useful insofar as it points to reshaping or remedying existing deficiencies, and it is also a term that duly denotes criticism of existing failures. However, there are five shortcomings of reform that are instead better captured by ‘redesign’ and can thus be framed as the ‘advantages of a redesign approach.’
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Read more about the article Starry-Eyed Youth

Starry-Eyed Youth

A recent large-scale space-related tournament known as the NASA 2023 Space Apps Challenge took place amid great fanfare around the world, and what was most exciting about the space-technology competition was the significant contingent of youth teams from Pakistan. Their enthusiasm for participating in the global tournament, and for solving complex spatial challenges set out by NASA, brimmed with promise and gave a unique insight into the vast potential for scientific engagement by Pakistan’s youth.
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Read more about the article Balancing Pakistan’s National Security and LAWS: Need for a Pragmatic Approach

Balancing Pakistan’s National Security and LAWS: Need for a Pragmatic Approach

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Robust advancements within conventional weapons technology and amalgamation with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have led to the development of Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS), also known as ‘Killer Robots.’ Distinct from other conventional weapons, they integrate the element of autonomy in their critical functions. LAWS autonomously perform critical tasks such as navigation, identification, tracking, and targeting using sensors and algorithms, without human control.
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Read more about the article Homeward to Afghanistan

Homeward to Afghanistan

If one were to take a look at social media such as Twitter (X), one might get the impression that Pakistanis are somewhat opposed to the repatriation of the Afghan migrants, but is this really true? A snap poll conducted by Gallup, an independent survey body, gives much weight to the contrary, with more than 84% of Pakistanis polled stating that they are vigorously in favor of the repatriation of Afghans back to their country.
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Read more about the article Countering Information Warfare in the Cognitive Domain

Countering Information Warfare in the Cognitive Domain

Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese military strategist, had long ago highlighted the significance of information warfare when he said, ‘all warfare is deception’. The term ‘Information Warfare’ entered military lexicon in the late ’70s, yet the strategy is as old as warfare itself. It has, however, continued to evolve with technological advancements.
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Read more about the article Mitigating Pakistan’s Population Challenges

Mitigating Pakistan’s Population Challenges

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Water, Education, Economy and Population (WEEP) are critical issues that have far-reaching effects on any country. Each element of WEEP has an over-arching impact on every stratum of society which in turn influences the security of a state. These elements determine the quality of life of the nation, that’s why all of their parameters must be monitored continuously by concerned stakeholders. Inadequacies in any of these can be detrimental to the National Security of a state. Unfortunately, Pakistan is confronted with acute challenges in each domain of WEEP.
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