In a very short span of time, the COVID-19 spread has affected the world in many ways, severely exposing the shortcomings of prevailing health and economic systems across the globe, while forcing the mankind into a lockdown and consequently rethink and redefine their lifestyles. At the same time however, it has also opened doors for new opportunities, exploiting which mindfully could reap considerable dividends in a longer run.
The thoughts were expressed by Dr Ijaz Shafi Gilani, chairman, Gallup Pakistan, while addressing a webinar talk titled ‘Threats and Opportunities for the Downside Persons and Nations’. Spread across two sessions which were held on April 23 and 28, 2020, the talk was held as part of IPS webinar series ‘Covid-19: Global Challenges, National Response’. The sessions were jointly chaired by former secretary finance and member of IPS National Academic Council Dr Waqar Masood Khan and Executive President IPS Khalid Rahman, whereas the discussants included Brig. (r) Said Nazir, sr. security analyst, Ambassador (r) Tajammul Altaf, senior research associate at IPS, and Mirza Hamid Hasan, former secretary, Water and Power and member IPS National Academic Council.
Gilani, in his keynote speech, pointed education, economy, transportation, social lifestyles and collective religious practices as some of the areas currently bearing the brunt of under-developed global health systems.
Contemplating over the aftermaths of Coronavirus outbreak, the speaker presented two threats and three opportunities before the participants. The threats, according to the speaker, were already being experienced in the health and economic sectors, whereas the opportunities, he pointed, were lying in the education, work and social domains.
Elaborating his viewpoint, the speaker said that the recent surveys have shown that most of the academics are utilizing their quarantine time in research and studies using advanced technologies. Speaking of the working aspect, Gilani said that the current situation was making people explore new work areas as well as new means and methods to carry their work out, and it is likely that these new trends will continue to be followed in some years of come.
As far as the social aspect was concerned, the scholar said that the time we would normally consume in outdoor activities in the pre-Covid19 world, is now being spent with the families, which is a good sign as it will strengthen the basic societal structure going forward.
The discussion that followed Gilani’s speech underscored that a major power shift in the global arena can also be expected in wake of the pandemic, whereas with the increased use of technology in nearly all facets of life will also change the nature for warfare where more threats could be posed in form of cyber and biological incursions.
