AIDIA launches Centre for Asian Futures, new graduate programme

KATHMANDU: The Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs (AIDIA) officially launched its Centre for Asian Futures (CAF) on Tuesday, alongside inaugurating a new Graduate School Programme in collaboration with Kathmandu University.

CAF serves as a platform that brings together experts from various fields to explore emerging ideas, trends, and pathways for the future of Asia. The launch event featured a keynote presentation titled 'Futures of Education in the Age of Multipolarity: Expectations and Potentials' by Dr Imtiaz Ahmed, professor and dean of the Master's in International Affairs, Economy, and Diplomacy (MIAED) programme at AIDIA.

During his presentation, Ahmed discussed the current state of education in Asia and the implications of multipolarity in both a national and international context. He also briefly reviewed global politics and how these dynamics would affect the educational sector.

"Human will is required for social change. Cats and dogs will not come and change the world. It’s only human beings," said Ahmed. "And that is the greatest responsibility given to any living being. No living being has that responsibility. Only humans."

Elaborating on the shifting global landscape, he noted that multipolarity would involve a fluid network of dynamic power centres, using the term 'H number' as a mathematical variable to represent an arbitrary or variable number of global poles.

"Keep in mind this multipolarity will not be rigid. It is going to be a fluid multipolar world," said Ahmed. "What it means, there will be 'H number' of polar (an unspecified or variable number of power centres) which will be interacted in different way. And this is something that we have never had in human history. The world never saw a fluid multipolar world or even a multipolar world."

The event concluded with the screening of a promotional video for CAF and the distribution of tokens of appreciation. Attendees included academics, policymakers, thought leaders, and the first batch of students enrolled in the new programme.