Prof. Dr. Rabia Akhtar

Dean, Social Sciences

Governance

Biography

Dr. Rabia Akhtar is Dean Faculty of Social Sciences at University of Lahore. A Professor of International Relations, she is the founding Director of the Centre for Security, Strategy and Policy Research and also of the School of Integrated Social Sciences at the University of Lahore. Dr. Akhtar has a PhD in Security Studies from Kansas State University. She holds Masters degrees in International Relations from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, and in Political Science from Eastern Illinois University, USA. Her scholarly pursuits have revolved around key areas such as South Asian nuclear security, deterrence dynamics, media in the age of deep fakes and disinformation, nuclear weapons, AI and emerging technologies, Pakistan's foreign policy and national security imperatives, as well as regional and international security issues. She has authored a book titled, 'The Blind Eye: U.S. Non-proliferation Policy Towards Pakistan from Ford to Clinton', which showcases her expertise in the field. Moreover, she serves as the Editor of Pakistan Politico, Pakistan's pioneering magazine on strategic and foreign affairs. Not only has Dr. Akhtar made significant contributions to academia, but she has also played a vital role in shaping foreign policy as a member of Prime Minister Imran Khan's Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2022. She is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the South Asia Center, Atlantic Council, Washington DC and a Nonresident Fellow at BASIC, UK. Dr. Akhtar serves as a visiting faculty at the NATO Defence College, Rome, the NPIHP Nuclear Bootcamp, Rome and ISODARCO, Andalo, Italy.

Education

SrNo.	Year	Degree	Board/University
1	2015	PhD Security Studies	Kansas State University USA
2	2003	MA Political Science	Eastern Illinois University USA
3	1999	MSc International Relations	Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad
4	1996	BA Applied Psychology & Political Science	Punjab University
5	1994	FSc Pre-Medical	PAF Intermediate College Chaklala Rawalpindi
6	1992	Matric Science	APS Rawalpindi

Experience

SrNo.	From	To	Category	Designation	Organization
1	2004	2010	Academic Experience	Assistant Professor	Fatima Jinnah Women University Rawalpindi
2	2015	current	Academic Experience	Professor/Director/HoD	University of Lahore
3	October 2023	still	Academic Experience	Dean Faculty of Social Sciences	University of Lahore
4	Sep 2007	Sep 2008	Professional Experience	Research Consultant	Strategic Plans Division

Publications

SrNo.	Title	Category	Sub Category
1	Nuclear Reactions: How Nuclear-Armed States Behave	Publication	Journal Article
2	Pakistan-U.S. Relations: Is Past the Prologue?	Books	Book Chapter
3	Book review: Pakistan’s Nuclear Bomb: A Story of Defiance, Deterrence and Deviance	Publication	Journal Article
4	Book Review: Winning & Losing the Nuclear Peace: The Rise, Demise & Revival of Arms Control	Publication	Journal Article
5	Book Review: China's Western Horizons:Beijing and the New Geopolitics of Eurasia	Publication	Journal Article
6	Nuclear Non-Proliferation Perspectives from Pakistan	Publication	Journal Article
7	Nuclear India and the Changing Landscape of Escalation in Southern Asia	Publication	Journal Article
8	Is Kashmir a Nuclear Flashpoint	Publication	Journal Article
9	Making of the Seventh NWS: Historiography of the Beginning of the Nuclear Disorder in South Asia	Publication	Journal Article
10	Manging Nuclear Risk in South Asia: A Pakistani Response	Publication	Journal Article
11	The Making of the Seventh Nuclear Weapon State: Historiography of the beginning of the Nuclear Disorder in South Asia	Publication	Journal Article
12	Nuclear Learning in South Asia: The South Asian Experience	Publication	Journal Article
13	Pakistan, India and China After the US Drawdown from Afghanistan	Publication	Journal Article
14	Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty	Publication	Journal Article
15	Emerging Security Dilemma of Pakistan in the wake of Indo-US Defense Deal 2005	Publication	Journal Article
16	Gender Vs Issues of War and Peace	Conferences	Conference Paper

Conferences

SrNo.	Year	Level	City	Country	Confence
1	2018	International	Lahore	Pakistan	International Conference on Threats to Security in
2	2018	International	SSII-Islamabad	Pakistan	The Global Non-proliferation Regime: Challenges an
3	2018	International	Bangkok	Thailand	Chaophraya Dialogue
4	2018	International	Seoul	South Korea	NPIHP Asia-Pacific Nuclear History Institute 2018
5	2018	International	Allumeire	Italy	NPIHP Asia-Pacific Nuclear History Bootcamp 2018
6	2014	International	Livermore, CA	USA	PONI-Strategic Stability in SA: Opp for US
7	2014	International	Allumiere	Italy	NPIHP Nuclear Boot Camp
8	2013	International	Washington DC	USA	Carnegie-Stimson Workshop on SA Nuclear Issues
9	2013	International	Washington DC	USA	NDU-DC South Asian Roundtable
10	May 2016	National	Gujrat	Pakistan	Strategic Stability & Nonprolif Debate in SA
11	Nov 2016	International	Seoul	Korea	NPIHP- Asia Pacific Nuclear History
12	Oct 2015	National-Panelist	Islamabad @ ISSI	Pakistan	Strategic Stability in South and East Asia
13	Aug 2015	International- Panelist	Seoul	Korea	Asia-Pacific Nuclear History Conference
14	Aug 2015	National-Panelist	Gujrat	Pakistan	Strategic Stability & Deterrence Debate in SA
15	March 2015	International	Washington DC	USA	Roundtable on Pakistan's Nuclear Future
16	2014	International-Stanford University	Palo Alto	USA	Pakistan-U.S. Strategic Dialouge
17	2014	International	Lexington, Kentucky	USA	SHAFR-Pakistan's Nuclear Innings: Carter Years
18	Oct 2016	International @ University of Lahore	Lahore	Pakistan	Comparative International Nuclear History
19	March 2016	International	Atlanta, Georgia	USA	ISA
20	March 2016	International- Roundtable @ SSP	MIT, MA	USA	Pakistan & US Nonproliferation Policy
21	March 2016	International- Panel Discussion	Rhode Island-Brown University	USA	US Non-proliferation Policy
22	Jan 2016	International organized by Carnegie	Beijing	China	China-India-Pakistan Trilateral Dialogue on Strate
23	Jan 2016	National	Islamabad	Pakistan	Reviewer @ Book Launch
24	2018	International	Paris	France	Future of Strategic Stability in South Asia
25	2018	International	Colombo	Sri Lanka	Nuclear Effects in South Asia
26	2018	International	Palo Alto, California	USA	Pak-U.S. Strategic Dialogue
27	2017	International	Baltimore, MD	USA	International Studies Association

Awards

SrNo.	Year	Awarding Organization	Description
1	2010-2015	Fulbright Scholarship-PhD	Awarded five year PhD Fulbright scholarship to pursue doctorate in Security Studies at Kansas State University, USA
2	2017	Cornell University	Fellowship, Judith Reppy Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies

Memberships

SrNo.	From - To	Title	Organization
1	2015 - current	Member	International Studies Association

Courses Taught

SrNo.	Type	Title	University	Semester
1	BS Social Science	IR: 1648 to 1945	University of Lahore	V
2	BS Social Science	Introduction to Politics & International Relations	University of Lahore	I

Project Supervisor

Services

Books

SrNo.	Title	Authors	Year	Publisher
1	Nuclear Learning in South Asia: The Levels of Anal	Rabia Akhtar,Debak Das,	2015	RCSS- Manoher Publications
2	Safety and Security of Pakistan's Nuclear Assets	Rabia Akhtar,Nazir Hussain,	2010	New York: Continuum Publishing
3	Linkages and Gaps in Conflict Resolution Research	Rabia Akhtar,,	2010	Dept of IR, Karachi University Press
4	The Blind Eye: U.S. Non-proliferation Policy Towar	Rabia Akhtar,,	2018

Research Fundings

Extracurricular Activities

SrNo.	Hobbies	Interests

Languages and Skills

Active Collabrations

SrNo.	From - To	Type	Country	Organization
1	2018 - 2021	International Research	Sri Lanka	Regional Center for Strategic Studies
2	2016 - 2019	International Research	USA	Woodrow Wilson-NPIHP Program

Consulting Experience

Achievements / Rewards

Dr Akhtar represents Pakistan, explores collaboration with Germany on global issues

Description

In a substantial ambassadorial effort, Prof Dr Rabia Akhtar (Director of the Center for Security, Strategy, and Policy Research (CSSPR)) represented Pakistan as a thought leader in a delegation of five eminent scholars from Asia. This delegation, constituted by the Asia chapter of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), visited Berlin, Germany, to engage in dialogues and meetings aimed at understanding Germany’s viewpoints on key global issues, from June 13-15, 2023.

The FES Strategic Foresight Group, comprising scholars from Pakistan, Thailand, India, South Korea, and Indonesia, sought to gain insights into Germany’s perception of the world, the interconnectedness of geopolitics and geoeconomics, and the overall security and stability of different regions. By interacting with parliamentarians, scholars, and think tank experts, the group aimed to identify Germany’s foreign policy direction amidst intensifying great power competition, technological advancements, and the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Dr Akhtar articulated Pakistan’s aspirations to become a regional and global connector, and expressed her belief that the country could serve as Germany’s partner in promoting peace. She said academic collaboration between the two countries must lay the groundwork for better ties. In that regard, she hoped that the University of Lahore (UOL) and CSSPR will like to establish linkages, to work on security and strategic issues with policymakers, universities, and think tankers in Germany.

Moreover, during the meetings with German officials and academicians, including Dr.Martin Thummel (Deputy Head for East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Federal Foreign Office), Dr Akhtar along with the delegation underlined the importance of collaboration between nations in an increasingly interconnected world. It was argued that Europe and Asia should not be considered separate arenas, as common threats and opportunities necessitate a collective approach.

The participants engaged in thought-provoking discussions on how Germany’s foreign policy has evolved amid geopolitical tensions and how the country aims to strike a balance between values-based and interests-based approaches, particularly in the face of the evolving Sino-U.S. rivalry. Central to these discussions was Germany’s embrace of Zeitenwende, signifying a transformative shift in its foreign and defence policies following the war in Ukraine. German officials highlighted that this philosophy would enable their country to contribute positively to regional and global stability.

Furthermore, the delegation stressed the importance of inter-regional dialogues, trade, and economic cooperation between Germany and Asian countries during their meetings with parliamentarians. Geoeconomics emerged as a key theme, with experts acknowledging its potential to promote interdependence, peace, and stability. However, they also expressed caution, and were mindful of the geopolitical complexities that could hinder its effectiveness.

Dr Ashraf becomes Pakistan’s top and world’s 12th most cited Plant Science researcher

Description

What traits set exceptional academic leaders apart? One is their ongoing commitment to academic excellence. Prof Dr Muhammed Ashraf (Rector, UOL), in an interview with the Press and Publications Cell (PPC) of the University of Lahore (UOL), shared how his commitment to academics and research led him to stand amongst the top-cited Plant Science researchers in the world.

The second edition of Research.com rankings of the best researchers was released recently. According to these rankings, Dr Ashraf stood 12th in the list of top-cited researchers with a massive number of 72,461 citations and 1,169 publications in the field of Plant Science.

While sharing his sentiments with the PPC team, he said, “It is a great honour and privilege for me to be among the world’s top-cited Plant Science researchers. Barely people from third-world countries like Pakistan get such immense acknowledgement for research, but I, hailing from a developing country, take pride in the fact that I was able to garner the limelight along with researchers from advanced countries like America, Germany, etc.”

Motivation for Plant Science Research

For most of his academic life, Dr Ashraf has been conducting research anchored on Plant Science, his field of specialisation for which he has recently been recognised globally. Revealing his motivation behind his research drive, he mentioned that “Research is the key element for institutions and even for academicians to leave an unprecedented imprint on the global academic spectrum. The only sound way to project novel ideas pertaining to your field is through research, and that is what keeps me right on track with research. To make significant contributions to the field of Plant Science, I try to continually explore and conduct impactful research.”

Global Acclamation

In continuing the discussion of his research motivation, on a lighter note, he shared that he received a congratulatory email from Mr Rattan Laal (The Ohio State University, the United States). “To my surprise, Mr Laal, the world’s most cited researcher, shared his congratulatory remarks with me. I am humbled to the core by this global acclamation that I have received so far,” he said.

Catering to Contemporary Plant Science Issues

In every field of study, researchers try to address and explore solutions for the most pressing issues. In Plant Science and Agronomy, the focal point of researchers nowadays is the impact of climate change on plants and, broadly, on the agriculture sector. Upon being asked about the impact of his research, the UOL Rector stated that “Climate change, undoubtedly, has adversely affected the lives of plants, animals, and even humans. My focus is particularly on plants and agriculture. Through my research, I have always tried to address and highlight the pressing issues that are being faced mainly by Asian and African countries, and this is also one of the reasons that my research is getting global acknowledgement because it caters to global issues. Majorly, my work is based on different plant stresses such as drought, salinity, waterlogging, temperature extremes etc.”

Fundamentals of Research, Publications, and Rankings

Not many people are familiar with the Research.com rankings, and in fact, they lack even the most basic knowledge of research rankings. During his interview with PPC, Dr Ashraf summarised the entire research ranking process by saying that “A researcher gets ranked based on his number of publications and citations. Researchers should try to publish their work in international journals, which will increase their chances of maximum citations. The more publications and citations, the higher the H-index, and ultimately, the better the chances of getting ranked at the top.”

Tips for soon-to-be Early-career Researchers

There is no short cut to conduct profoundly organic research, and that is what Dr Ashraf said. “Dedication and hard work are the keys to achieve research goals. Nevertheless, to stand out in the pool of researchers, it is pertinent, especially for Plant Science research aspirants, to focus on technological and digital advancements, keeping oneself up-to-date with international contemporary research trends, and fuelling the urge of discovery by gaining more and more knowledge,” he advised the students.

Dr Tahir explores the role of financial risk-taking attitude in consumer satisfaction

Description

A consumer’s attitude of financial risk tolerance (FRT) plays an important role in his/her financial decisions, thereby determining his well-being. FRT is a consumer’s preference for the amount of risk he undertakes while making investments. Recently, a lot of research studies have been conducted on consumer well-being and FRT. Being motivated by this trend in financial research, Dr Muhammad Tahir (Assistant Professor, Lahore Business School, the University of Lahore (UOL)) and fellow researchers explored the relationship amongst financial literacy, propensity to plan (PTP), FRT, financial satisfaction, and life satisfaction.

Though scholarly acumen for consumer well-being is rapidly developing, not much is known regarding the collective roles of financial literacy, PTP, and FRT. Dr Tahir’s study addressed this gap by showing that financial literacy, risk-taking attitudes, and planning propensities are all interconnected and necessary ingredients to improve financial and life satisfaction.

Dr Tahir’s analytical study titled “Role of financial risk-taking attitude in personal finances and consumer satisfaction: evidence from Australia” revealed a strong partial mediation of FRT between financial literacy and financial satisfaction. Moreover, the analysis showed that a high PTP combined with a high FRT results in high financial satisfaction.

For achieving the main objective of the research, the Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey was taken into consideration. Furthermore, Dr Tahir used the variance-based partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), also known as the PLS path modelling approach, to test the proposed hypotheses of the study empirically.

The findings of Dr Tahir’s research study showed the importance of creating financial plans in accordance with risk tolerance. Considering the relevance of increasing financial literacy, Dr Tahir suggested that the use of tools that could help consumers plan and spent in risky investments might lead them to have a more financial and life satisfaction.

UOL chemist explores an eco-friendly alternative thickening agent for textile printing

Description

Textile printing is the most versatile and vital methodology for introducing colour and design to textile fabrics. Different types of thickeners (chemical compounds) are used for printing, such as polysaccharide thickener, synthetic thickener, and emulsion thickener. Synthetic thickeners are highly criticised for endangering the environment at the manufacturing stages.

Dr Dure Najaf Iqbal (Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, The University of Lahore) and her team of researchers explored an eco-friendly alternative for synthetic thickeners that is effective in the textile printing process. The team revealed that guar gum could serve as an outstanding natural thickener, stabiliser, and gelling agent and could as well be used in various industrial units, including food, cosmetics, textiles, oil fracturing, and mining. Guar gum is one of the most important naturally occurring non-ionic high molecular weight polysaccharides and consists of galactomannan, which has vast applications in various fields.

Dr Iqbal and her team synthesised carboxymethyl guar gum (CMG) via monochloroacetic acid under alkaline conditions. The carboxymethylation of guar gum was accomplished by the Willianson ether technique and the reaction conditions were optimised during the course of the experiment. Guar derivatives with variable degrees of substitution (DS) were prepared and confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The DS was determined quantitatively by the titration method for each derivative.

For this research study, native guar gum was purchased from National Guar Industries, Karachi, with a molecular weight of 1.043 106 g/mol. Whereas, all the chemicals and reagents used were of analytical grade and were purchased from Merck, Germany.

The result proved that the substituted guar gum is an eco-friendly, non-hazardous thickener as compared to synthetic thickeners. Furthermore, the penetration properties, fixation ability, and colour fastness of guar gum were compared with those of commercial alginate thickeners. The printing trial of the thickener CMG also showed that carboxymethyl guar gum could easily replace conventional thickeners without any compromise on printing results and could prevent fabric stiffness. The tested water-holding capacity (a central aspect that determines commercial applications of gums) of guar gum made it ideal for improving the texture of end products in diverse industrial formulations.

Also, it was revealed that the implementation of carboxymethyl guar gum in textile printing can reduce the economic burden associated with exporting alginate and other synthetic thickeners. This, in turn, could enable exporters to offer competitive pricing without compromising on quality.

Faculty / Staff Profiles

Prof. Dr. Rabia Akhtar

Dean, Social Sciences

Governance

Biography

Education

Experience

Publications

Conferences

Awards

Courses Taught

Project Supervisor

Services

Books

Research Fundings

Extracurricular Activities

Languages and Skills

Active Collabrations

Consulting Experience

Dr Akhtar represents Pakistan, explores collaboration with Germany on global issues

Dr Ashraf becomes Pakistan’s top and world’s 12th most cited Plant Science researcher

Dr Tahir explores the role of financial risk-taking attitude in consumer satisfaction

UOL chemist explores an eco-friendly alternative thickening agent for textile printing