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    AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN DUBAI

    Written by: Maryam Gul
    Posted on: October 4, 2013 | | 中文

    (l-r) Mehick Ahmed, Maryam Gul, Alizeh Hameed at the American University of Dubai

    The Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations is a bi annual conference, with two conferences held each year since 1991. One is convened in Boston, Massachusetts and the other in Asia, in collaboration with a leading university of the region. This year’s HPAIR Asia Conference was held in Dubai from the 22nd to 26th of August at the JW Marquis Marriot and the American University of Dubai. I, along with two of my class fellows from NUST Business School, was one of ten Pakistani delegates chosen to represent our country at the conference.

    At the Pakistan Counsel General's Residence

    The conference encompassed a large variety of topics and there were ten panels, ranging from Business Leadership to Global Health. The three of us, Alizeh Hameed, Maryam Gul and Mehick Ahmed, were on the Media, Security and Energy Panels respectively, and were part of some very engaging debates. Panellists included noted academicians, researchers, journalists, politicians, businessmen and entrepreneurs. Apart from attending the core panel discussions, we were given a choice of several seminars that we could attend as per availability; this allowed us to get a well rounded output from the conference.

    Field trips were also arranged by the HPAIR Organizing committee as relevant to the panel. I was taken to the International Humanitarian city and shown relief goods at the world’s largest aid providing base. I was astonished to find that Dubai was at a 3 hours journey from one third of the world’s population and 7 hours away from reaching two thirds of the world, making it an ideal location for humanitarian workers.  Mehick as part of her panel got to explore the Trans-Gulf Factories and Eemar industries, while Alizeh got to visit the biggest advertising agency in the UAE where she learnt the tricks behind the glossy television screens.

    Business Plennary

    The entire conference was a remarkable experience, from living at the world’s tallest hotel and meeting people from well educated backgrounds to enjoying the pre and post conference tours with fellow delegates. The opening ceremony was held at the world’s largest iMax theatre and sessions took place at the hotel as well as the magnificent campus of the American University in Dubai.

    The best event was perhaps the international night when we were able to showcase our country’s culture to the other delegates. The most exciting part about representing one’s country abroad is the fact that you are able to change perceptions in a matter of minutes. From teaching Germans the bhangra to applying mehndi to Americans and Venezuelans, the entire evening was incredibly enjoyable we found that people were genuinely interested in finding out about Pakistan and its rich history.

    The little time we got off from the panel discussions and seminars was spent at the various malls in Dubai, and going to the top of the tallest building in the world, the Burj Al Khalifa. We also visited Al Bastakiya, or old town Dubai, and were privileged to attend a session in a mosque!

    Desert Safari as an ending to our trip!

    All in all, the trip, funded completely by our Alma mater NUST, was a well-rounded one where we got to interact with the best brains in the world and some of the most successful professionals. As a parting gift, we were invited to the Pakistani Embassy in Dubai for lunch where we got to discuss our conference’s outcomes with the Counsel General. As we boarded the flight back home, we realized we were coming back with a global network of friends, a plethora of new ideas and altered mind sets. HPAIR ’13 was one incredible global experience!


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021