KARACHI, January 18, 2016: Promoting the culture of Karachi and Pakistan as a hub of excellence is very dear to Habib University, what with so many initiatives taken in the past to contribute to its shine. The Karachi Literature Festival is one such event that celebrates the city of Karachi as a pinnacle of literary cultural activity.
Ever since its inception in 2011 with the efforts of the founders, Ameena Saiyad, and HU faculty member Dr. Asif Aslam Farrukhi, KLF has become an annual mega-event and a hallmark of the city of Karachi. Its popularity is such that visitors to Karachi time their visits so that they can attend the festival, with local and international visitors making up the contributing panelists as well as the audience.
Habib University’s inclusion in the KLF comes naturally, due to Dr. Asif being one of the founding members.
“The idea for KLF came to us over a cup of coffee, and since then it really took off. It’s become a happening event where people want to come and present, and contribute. It set off a chain of events inspired by this idea of the celebration of our culture in every major city of Pakistan, something that we’re very proud of,” said Dr. Asif.
HU is present at the festival through faculty engagements, as well as student participation. Several faculty members have been involved in panels, discussions and general participation in the KLF for several years, with heavy involvement this year as well. Some of the faculty that will be present at the KLF this year include Dr. Nauman Naqvi, Dr. Shoaib Zaidi, Mohammad Hanif, Dr. Asif himself, and the President of HU, Mr. Wasif Rizvi.
“There is a substantial presence of HU students (at KLF) who are curious, eager, bright young things who like to be at the happening places. There’s a sizable body of students who are volunteers, helping out the visitors, buying books, minding stalls at the festival, so the student side is fairly represented”, said Dr. Asif.
The students at HU are especially invested in the KLF panels because they get to engage and interact with the same individuals whom they read texts about as part of their core curriculum. This places the university in a unique position wherein it is capable of helping its students engage with great, hands-on learning opportunities. Students of language and literature are especially engrossed by the sessions held at the KLF, engaging with authors such as Zahida Hina, or Intezar Hussain about whom they’ve written research papers, examined and analysed their writings and more.
“Students get to tell these authors what they thought of their works, which chapters they loved and which ones they didn’t. This adds a touch of innovation in the field of language, something that has been neglected for so long in the modern education industry, especially regarding our regional languages”.
One of the most exciting consequences of events such as KLF, and the contribution and participation of the active HU community, is that many parents and students get to learn about the faculty and students through direct interaction with them, which offers them useful insights into the all-inclusive, innovative methods practiced at the university.
