“Pakistan faces enormous challenges as we stand at the threshold of the 21st Century with baggage of 19th Century. Global security has transformed tremendously with changes in research, technology and inter-state relations and ever changing dynamics of security itself,” said renowned defence analyst and South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) University Chairperson Dr Maria Sultan while addressing the varsity’s launching ceremony on Monday.
While introducing SASSI University, Dr Sultan thanked the president of Pakistan for patronising the university, defence minister and the SASSI advisory board for their unconditional support.
“We are happy to announce that SASSI University is a premier institute of higher learning which is geared to provide the nation a response capability to deal with growing challenges. It is only through knowledge that we can bring Pakistan forward and out of these challenges,” she said.
The courses offered at the SASSI University on the national security, peace studies, media sciences, counter-terrorism and intelligence are just a few courses designed to enable the nation and the next generation to meet the paradoxes with knowledge, she said.
While lauding the active support of Capital Development Authority (CDA), Dr Sultan emphasised that the security these days was understood to be an expanded concept, ranging from human security to traditional security.
“Pakistan has faced challenges which have been unprecedented both in terms of the nature, scale and degree of conflict and threats faced. The fourteen years of global war against terror has placed Pakistan at the center of the international transitions in security where supra individuals, organised crime, networks and terrorism have dominated the security discourse.
It is extremely important that Pakistan remains cognizant of the emerging trends in security at the global and regional level but also creates a sustained national response based on research, innovation and a grass roots approach,” she said.
Dr Sultan was of the view that Pakistan required an outside the box approach for the changing environments and to prepare Pakistan for the challenges.
“The nation and the country await a new beginning and this can only be ensured if knowledge is our partner hence the journey of SASSI University to equip Pakistan with knowledge research and innovation through studies and higher learning,” she concluded, while thanking the participants for their support to SASSI towards this national initiative to achieve its goals in practical terms.
The ceremony was attended by a number of diplomats, academicians, intellectuals, civil society and people from different walks of life.