Emerging technologies

Indigenisation of Drones: A Security Imperative for Pakistan

For any state, it is of paramount importance how it guarantees national security. This can be ensured through the use or threat of use of force and also mobilising its defence sector in times of conflict and war. In other words, it revolves around the defence capabilities that allow a state to carry out fundamental functions including ‘preventing, deterring, coercing and countering national security threats’.

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India

Fighter – Another Addition to the Indian Propaganda Machine

Anti-Pakistan propaganda remains a recurrent theme in numerous Bollywood movies. In fact, through the cinematic lens, movies such as Border, LoC Kargil, Raazi, and Uri, etc., have kept an anti-Pakistan perspective as a central theme to the plot. Such movies with nationalist themes, culminating with a unilateral Indian victory over Pakistan, resonate finely with the Indian audience with corresponding commercial benefits for the producers.

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Economic Affairs & National Development

Potential of Pakistan’s IT Industry: A SWOT Analysis

In recent years, Pakistan’s IT industry has shown significant potential for growth while confronting various challenges. This Working Paper presentsa comprehensive SWOT analysis to assess the industry’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats in detail. It identifies a young demographic base; large freelancing sector; and financial attractiveness for offshore outsourcing of IT services as the major strengths of Pakistan’s IT industry.

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Middle East

Israel-Iran Standoff and Global Oil Prices

The war on Gaza since early October last year has had a limited impact on global oil prices, unlike the spike in oil prices that followed the war in Ukraine, as neither Israel nor the besieged Gaza Strip are significant oil producers. 

For context, global Brent crude oil prices increased briefly after the initial violence in early October

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India

Kalyani Devaki Menon, Making Place for Muslims in Contemporary India

Kalyani Devaki Menon’s ‘Making Place for Muslims in Contemporary India’ is an insightful gateway into the challenges faced by Indian Muslims to survive in a country treading on the path of exclusionary and majoritarian politics. Working currently, as a Professor of religious study at DePaul University, Chicago, Menon, has previously also written a book titled ‘Everyday Nationalism’ on the religious politics of Hindu rights.

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Education

Paving the Way for Educational Excellence in Pakistan: Policy, Curriculum, Access

The Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS), Islamabad has a tradition of initiating timely, well-informed and policy-relevant debates on subjects of national and international importance through publications, conferences, seminars, webinars and guest lectures by leading diplomats, policy experts, senior civil and military officers, scholars and media.  These policy debates are closely followed not only by policymakers/experts, relevant institutions, academia and media but also by the international community.

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Emerging technologies

Swarm Drone Technology: Military Advantage or Ethical Dilemma?

Nature is reflective of the fact that the deficiencies of a single individual are often compensated for by coordinated group efforts, as seen in a pack of wolves, colony of bees, and flock of birds, etc. Rapid advancements in military technologies have materialised this natural phenomenon through the development of swarm drone technology.

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Emerging technologies

Humans in the Age of Generative AI

As the fourth Industrial Revolution unfolds, Artificial Intelligence – devouring computational power and big data – is fuelling an ‘AI Spring.’ This article outlines the trends in Generative AI and explores the need to invest in human capital through upskilling/reskilling programmes amid fears of AI replacing humans. It attempts to reframe the conversation and larger vision in a positive light such that primacy remains with humans.
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