About ThinkFest

The Afkar-e-Taza ThinkFest is inspired by the thought of Pakistan’s poet laureate, Sir Muhammad Iqbal, where he exclaimed in his poem Takhliq (Creation) that ‘New worlds derive their pomp from thoughts quite fresh and new/From stones and bricks a world was neither built nor grew.’ In order to create these ‘newer worlds,’ the ThinkFest aims to achieve three objectives: First is the creation of newer spaces, realms, and opportunities for the flourishing of new thoughts and ideas, so that Pakistan can develop as a forward-looking and progressive country. Secondly, the Afkar-e-Taza ThinkFest aims to bridge the gap between academia and society by becoming an interface between them. Worldwide newer and creative thoughts are incubated in universities and colleges, but in Pakistan, there is little interaction between academia and the general public. This event bridges the gap by providing academic discourse in an accessible yet robust manner, for fuller understanding and engagement. And thirdly, since recently Pakistan and the world have been mired in the vortex of ‘fake news’ and ‘alternative facts’ which blur and mask our knowledge and judgments on critical issues, the Afkar-e-Taza ThinkFest provides us with an opportunity to engage with leading scholars from around the world in a fact based and critical discussion which is grounded and vigorous.