Ms. Maria Gulraize Khan was a guest speaker at the DSS department on a very different and fascinating topic Challenges & Opportunities in Cultural Heritage Management in Pakistan. Ms. Khan, herself an educationist, social activitst and now co-founder of a heritage management and cutlural advocacy centre based in Lahore, has
been working on heritage sites as well as educating on culture and heritage management. She highlighted the diversity and multilayered identity, Pakistan carries in terms of culture, one of the richest and ancient heritage sites. Different stakeholders view culture from their own prism, which at best is limited, as culture and heritage are extremely deep and diverse, with as many definitions. Culture, heritage, values, traditons play a imporatnt role in defining a country’s strategic cuture bth in past, present as well as future. There is an ardent need to recognise indeginous roots and culture, as it helps a nation identify itself in the true sense. There exist bureacratic issues, lack of understanding as well as interest and acknowledgment. There is a need to understand a country’s cultural capital, which also helps expand economy, both in tangible and intangible aspect. The discussion was attended by students of MSc 4th, MPhil DSS , who participated very enthusiastically in the discussion. Mr Khalid Banuri, visiting faculty and adviser SPD also contributed to the discussion and gave a formal note of thanks to the distinguished guest speaker and concluded the discussion.