Do cities in arid regions require a different development mindset? How can these cities think differently about their ecology? Huda Shaka discusses how some cities in these regions can think differently. Huda Shaka is an experienced sustainability and urban planning consultant, based in Dubai. She advises on large-scale master planning and infrastructure projects as well […]

Raed B’kayrat how energy planning and management systems can be developed in smart cities. He further outlines the role renewable energy sources can play in a smart city’s future. Raed B’kayrat is currently the managing director for the Clean Energy Business Council (CEBC) in Dubai. He is also a senior advisor at the Alternative Energy […]

Raafat Radwan discusses some of the challenges to building better relationships between the public and private sector, highlighting the importance in building trust to smart city development. Raafat Radwan is a national, regional and international consultant with more than 40 years of career experience in both the public sector and as a consultant in different […]

Jane Macfarlane discusses how transportation in urban environments has reached a tipping point. She highlights the types of data being collected and how it could be better used for active control across entire networks. She discusses ongoing research on how to design smart transportation systems. Jane Macfarlane has been a pioneer in applying advanced computing […]

The unique hydrology of the Kabul River Basin, with both Afghanistan and Pakistan being simultaneously upstream and downstream neighbors, raises the potential for increased conflict and mistrust between the two countries if development of the basin is performed unilaterally. The basin is highly vulnerable and adaptation requires authentic climate and hydrological data. However, majority of […]

In order to expand mutual peace, prosperity and overcome barriers to trade Hollings Center for International Dialogue grantees from Pakistan and Afghanistan launched an Afghanistan-Pakistan Trade Portal (APTP). The Project aimed at supporting and growing bilateral trade and economic links and between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The trade portal web site can be found at: https://afpaktradeportal.org. […]

The Women in Peace Festival was a two-day event organized in Rawalpindi, Islamabad by grantee and previous Hollings Center participant Uzma Yaqoob. The festival is one of several initiatives to come out of the Center’s Afghanistan-Pakistan Partnership program, sponsored in part by the Hollings Center and by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. The festival […]

Dr. Mary Ellen Lane, founding board member and former Vice Chair of the Hollings Center for International Dialogue passed away on November 3, 2019 after battling a long illness. The Hollings Center expresses its sincere condolences to Dr. Lane’s family, friends, and colleagues. In addition to her service to the Center, Dr. Lane served as the […]

Higher education is often seen as an important investment in dealing with large socioeconomic problems and the key to breaking through barriers to national advancement, economic development, and civil society growth. Home to a quarter of the world’s population, South Asia’s industry and service sectors are growing and creating jobs that require skilled workers. To […]

Kazi K. Ashraf discusses how a megacity could be defined and the challenges that definition will create for urbanists in planning for megacities. Kazi K. Ashraf is an architect, urbanist and architectural historian. He received his master’s from MIT and a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. Currently director-general of Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes […]