Islamabad: The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) hosted a delegation from the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN) for an interactive session aimed at fostering collaboration in research, policy dialogue, and institutional development. The session was led by Dr. Shujaat Farooq, Dean of Research at PIDE, who welcomed the participants and highlighted PIDE's legacy as Pakistan's premier economic think tank and the policy research arm of the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives.
Established in 1957, PIDE continues to guide national policymaking through evidence-based insights and innovative economic research. Ranked as Pakistan's #1 economic think tank and among the top 10 in Asia, PIDE has evolved into a hub of intellectual leadership driving national reform through its five-fold strategy-Research, Engagement, Academia, Counsel, and Hub. Dr. Shujaat emphasized the importance of strong research ecosystems, noting that Pakistan invests only 0.16% of GDP in RandD compared to the global average of 2.27%, and stressed that locally grounded, demand-based research must shape the country's development trajectory.
The session also showcased PIDE's flagship initiatives, including RASTA (Research for Social Transformation and Advancement), Pakistan's largest competitive research grants program bridging the research-policy gap; the Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE), the country's professional body of economists leading policy dialogue since 1982; and the Executive Development Centre (EDC), which provides professional training to strengthen policymaking capacity across institutions.
During the QandA session, PUAN members engaged PIDE researchers on research grant mechanisms, local policy priorities, and institutional reform. Discussions highlighted challenges in Pakistan's energy and extractive sectors, including policy inconsistency, lack of decentralization, and absence of a coherent fiscal regime for mineral development. Dr. Shujaat acknowledged these gaps and emphasized that cross-institutional collaboration is vital for evidence-based policymaking.
Both sides agreed to explore future partnerships to promote policy literacy, joint studies, and youth engagement under the PUAN-PIDE collaboration framework. The visit concluded with a shared commitment to continue dialogue and develop initiatives connecting research with reform. Dr. Shujaat thanked the PUAN delegation for their visit and reaffirmed PIDE's mission to strengthen Pakistan's development narrative through knowledge-driven, inclusive, and context-aware policymaking.