حدیقۃ العجائب
التحریر چوک کے ایک حصے میں ایک بڑی اور عالی شان عمارت ایستادہ تھی میں نے دکتور محمود سے پوچھا یہ کیا ہے بولے ھذاٰ حدیقۃ العجائب ۔عجائب گھر پر نگاہ ڈالی تو مسافر کے دل میں تحریر چوک کی قدرو منزلت سوا ہو گئی جہاں عصرِ حاضر کے مصری نوجوان بہتر مستقبل کے لیے عصری فرعونوں سے نبرد آزما ہوتے ہیں اور ماضی کے فرعونوں کو بہ طور عبرت اپنی آغوش میں جگہ دی ہے ۔ عجائب گھر میں داخلے کے لیے ٹکٹ لینا ضروری تھا ۔مسافر کو اہلِ فراعنہ کی لاشوں اور لکی ایرانی سرکس کے جانوروں میںکوئی فرق محسوس نہ ہوا سچ کہا میرے رب نے ’’اب تو ہم صرف تیر ی لاش بچائیں گے تاکہ تو بعد کی نسلوںکے لیے نشانِ عبرت بنے ‘‘۔
غیر ملکیوںکے لیے یہ ٹکٹ تین سو مصری پائونڈ کا تھا مصریوں کے لیے ایک سو پچاس جبکہ مصری طالب علموں کے لیے ساٹھ مصری پائونڈ ۔ دکتور محمود نے کوئی جگاڑ لگایااورہم بغیر ٹکٹ کے اندر داخل ہو گئے عجائب گھر کی مرکزی عمارت کے سامنے ایک بہت بڑے دالان میں کچھ ٹوٹے ہوئے اور خراب مجسمے رکھے گئے تھے ،ان کے درمیان میں پیادہ روشیں بنائی گئی تھیں یہ تما م پیادہ روشیں عجائب گھر کی مرکزی عمارت تک جا کر ایک بڑے رستے کی شکل اختیار کر لیتی ہیں ۔یہاں سے ہم سیڑھیاں چڑھے تو ایک خود کار مشین کے ذریعے تلاشی بھی لی گئی ۔صدر دروازے سے گزر کر ہم ایک بڑے ہال میں داخل ہوئے۔ جہاں اہل فراعنہ کے کئی میٹر طویل مجسمے اس انداز میں رکھے گئے تھے جیسے ان کا دربار لگا ہو اور امورِ سلطنت پر اجلاس جاری ہو ۔میں نے ایک قوی ہیکل فرعونی مجسمے کے قریب جا کر دکتور محمود کوکہا...
Belt and Road initiative (BRI) is the revival of the ancient Silk Road. From the historical analysis of the ancient Silk Road, it could be easily understood that nations around the Silk Road have cultural assimilation fostering mutual cohesion. In this context, BRI was proposed by the Xi Jinping administration, which provides a ground for a very old idea of bringing Eurasians under the development phenomenon for achieving common economic growth goals. Indeed, BRI is not only initiated to promote trade, but it will also increase multidimensional cooperation among nations, such as a cultural and educational exchange. It will bring closer not only the regional countries but even the continents to each other. Moreover, BRI will bring new enthusiasm to the old idea, and provides grounds for development and achieving common goals between the states. BRI is deemed to be a game changer for the states involved and China itself.
This research looks into the interplay between gender and student classroom participation and identities in higher education. Research literature demonstrates that variance is found in students‘ classroom participation. While some researchers attribute these differences to student gender, others are of the opinion that other contextual factors are responsible for students‘ differential classroom participation. Moreover, diverse research findings also confirm that universities are unfriendly places for females, where they are discriminated against in a host of ways. In the recent past, the number of universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has substantially increased, as part of the government resolve for increasing access to higher education for all, regardless of religion, class, gender and race. Therefore, it was imperative to look into gender-based disparities that female students might face while endeavoring for getting higher education. Using a qualitative case study design, nine universities were purposively selected as sample for data collection, out of the total nineteen (19) public sector universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Representations to the all culturally diverse areas have been given while selecting the sample of the study. Data were gathered through semi structured interviews and observations from students and teachers of the given sample universities. Two (2) male and two (2) female students from a departments each in a university were interviewed, while two (2) male and two (2) female teachers from the selected departments were also interviewed. Similarly, two classrooms observations were done in the sampled departments of the universities. The results show that universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa present highly unfriendly environments for female students; male students disproportionately dominate classroom activities. The findings also show that teachers and students tend to endorse and practice culturally appropriate practices, which serve to disadvantage and deny female students equal learning opportunities. Moreover, female students were found to be facing discrimination from male students as well as from male faculty members. Female students are expected to adhere to the established cultural beliefs and expectations of Pakhtun patriarchal society; otherwise, they are considered and branded to be violating established social rules and codes. Cultural inequalities and discrimination are visible not only in classrooms but also outside classroom within universities. Female students also face harassment from both faculty members and male students to the level where even females themselves have internalized such behaviors as something normal and expected. So strong are the beliefs of male dominance in the minds of both male and female faculty members and students that females are considered inferior not only physically but also mentally and consequently their better than males‘ academic performance is branded as based on rote memorization.