School of Economics and Social Sciences - IBA Karachi

Another insightful seminar hosted by EGF Lab, featuring Dr. Ghamz E. Ali Siyal and Dr. Ayesha Zia’s discussion on “Urban Environmental Stressors and Mental Well-being: Evidence from Noise, Pollution, and Neighborhood Condition.”

The session explored how Karachi’s urban environment, particularly noise pollution and neighborhood conditions, impacts mental well-being, highlighting the need for greater awareness and informed urban planning. The discussion highlighted the importance of collaboration across different departments in encouraging innovative and interdisciplinary research on complex urban challenges.

Thank you to Dr. Ghamz and Dr. Ayesha for sharing their valuable insights.

The Political Science Cluster at the Department of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts (SSLA), IBA Karachi, hosted a thought-provoking panel discussion on “Wars, Crisis, and Deterrence Stability in South and West Asia”.

The session brought together distinguished voices: Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal (Interim VC, Quaid-i-Azam University), Ms. Reema Omer (Lawyer & Human Rights Professional, ICJ), and Dr. Sajjad Ahmad (Asst. Prof., IBA Karachi), moderated by Dr. Farhan H. Siddiqi, Chairperson, SSLA.

The discussions spanned from the concept of a "Fourth Nuclear Age" and the erosion of post-Cold War deterrence to the legality of war under international law and Iran's strategic posture in a turbulent Middle East, all against the backdrop of escalating conflicts in both South and West Asia.

Join us for an insightful panel on Wars, Crisis, & Deterrence Stability in South & West Asia.

Engage with speakers as they examine regional security dynamics & policy challenges.

📅 7th May | 🕐 1 PM
📍 G&T Auditorium, IBA Karachi.

The event is only for IBA community.

Dr. Ali Gibran Siddiqui, Assistant Professor and Cluster Lead (History), presented his ongoing research at the inaugural session of SESS Research Connect.

Titled “The Letters of Abdullah Khan Firuz Jang,” his talk explored how individuals in the Mughal Empire mobilized complex public personae through epistolary writing to negotiate and create political space.

The session marked a strong start to SESS Research Connect.

The Economic Growth and Forecasting Lab under IBA SESS, in collaboration with IBA PRC, successfully hosted a workshop led by the EGF Director, Dr. Salman Khalid, on “Introduction to Causal Inference & Policy Evaluation”

The session provided a concise, hands-on overview of causal inference techniques, from RCTs to Difference-in-Differences, with a focus on real-world policy evaluation through STATA.

We thank the facilitator and participants for an engaging session.

IBA SESS is calling all future change-makers!

Round 2 admissions for Fall 2026 are officially open at IBA’s School of Economics and Social Sciences (IBA-SESS). Whether you're passionate about the logic of Economics, the precision of Data Science, or the depth of Social Sciences, your journey toward excellence starts here.

📌 Apply now: https://onlineadmission.iba.edu.pk/admissions/register
📧 For queries: [email protected]

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Arslan Waheed has co-authored a paper titled “Securitised Development, Popular Politics & the Authoritarian State in Pakistan,” published in Area Development and Policy journal. The article aims to understand the intricacies of the Pakistani state as a development actor that converges on the international development and control of the populace through its development projects.

Read full paper: https://doi.org/10.1080/23792949.2026.2651708

An insightful and thought-provoking session on “Human Capital Formation Under the Shadow of Terror” by Dr. Faiz Ur Rehman explored how conflict reshapes education outcomes in Pakistan.

The discussion unpacked the hidden costs of exposure to risk, including its long-term impact on school completion and mental well-being.

A sincere thank you to Dr. Faiz Ur Rehman for his valuable insights and for leading the discussion.

The Economic Growth & Forecasting (EGF) Lab at the School of Economics & Social Sciences (SESS), IBA recently hosted a research seminar featuring Dr. Sahar Arshad on “The Impact of Cover Crop Contract Design Flexibilities on Enrollment Decisions: Insight from a Choice Experiment on Maryland Farmers.”

The session highlighted how flexible policy contract design can influence farmer's participation in sustainability programs, offering valuable insights at the intersection of environmental policy, agricultural economics, and behavioral decision-making.

The Political Science cluster at the Department of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts, IBA Karachi organised a panel discussion titled “National Security Strategy of the United States of America: Implications for Allies, Adversaries, and Outliers”.

The panelists included Dr Haider Nizamani and Dr Farhan Hanif Siddiqi who analysed the NSS and its implications. Dr Nizamani highlighted a shift in US foreign policy from maintaining broad global commitments to prioritizing the security and stability of the American homeland. By downgrading Europe at the third spot in US security priorities, the US expects Europe to contribute more to its own defence and NATO-share. Dr Siddiqi mentioned that the remarkable shift in US policy is absence of China as a strategic competitor which in previous report of 2019 was considered a revisionist power. The NSS is a bucket list of wants of US and against DEI giving the impression that Americans are at loss.

The panel was moderated by Dr Sajjad Ahmad and was attended by students and faculty members of various disciplines.

Join IBA-SESS and Make an Impact.

Admissions are now open for the School of Economics & Social Sciences. Join a community that nurtures critical thinking, analytical excellence, and real-world impact. Take the first step toward leadership.

📌 Apply now: https://onlineadmission.iba.edu.pk/admissions/register
📧 [email protected]