Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal, chaired the 18th Senate meeting of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) on Friday, where the Institute unveiled a three-year strategic plan to position itself as a globally recognized think tank.
Vice Chancellor Dr. Nadeem Javaid presented the roadmap focusing on enhancing research capacity, expanding policy influence, updating academic programs, advancing digital transformation, building partnerships, and ensuring financial sustainability.
The Institute proposed revising its salary structure to attract and retain top talent. Minister Iqbal instructed benchmarking against leading institutions such as IBA and LUMS and assigned a committee, led by Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, to develop a competitive compensation framework.
PIDE also announced the launch of eight new domain-specific research centers and set a goal to triple high-quality research publications within five years.
Minister Iqbal encouraged scholars to introduce innovative and practical perspectives, particularly in redefining rural development through diversified economic opportunities beyond agriculture.
To strengthen the connection between research and policy, PIDE introduced a Public Policy and Governance academic program, where PhD candidates will gain hands-on experience through attachments with government ministries under a work-study model.
Additionally, semester exchange programs with international universities were proposed to enhance student exposure.
The Senate resolved to conduct annual institutional performance reviews and establish a committee to define and approve priority research themes aligned with national development needs.
Minister Iqbal emphasized the need for strategic and exponential growth, urging PIDE to identify global supply chain opportunities where Pakistan can gain a competitive advantage.
Senate members contributed ideas to keep PIDE adaptive and responsive to the country’s development challenges.
