ISLAMABAD, October 23, 2026: The National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) hosted the sixth International Conference on Business, Management and Social Sciences (ICBMASS-2026), bringing together academics, researchers and policy experts to examine the evolving relationship between global security, economic development and governance.
The two-day conference, themed “Beyond the Binaries: Reconfiguring the Security-Development Nexus amid a Transitioning Global Order,” focused on emerging geopolitical challenges, changing financial structures, human security and the impact of technological advancements on international stability.
The event was jointly organised by four NUST institutions: the Centre for International Peace and Stability (CIPS), Jinnah School of Public Policy and Leadership (JSPPL), School of Social Sciences and Humanities (S3H), and NUST Business School (NBS).
Experts examine shifts in global financial and security systems
Major General (Retd) Zahid Mahmood, Principal of the National Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (NIPCONS), attended as chief guest and delivered the welcome address.
He opened the proceedings by highlighting the conference’s focus on the changing relationship between security structures and sustainable development frameworks.
In his keynote address, Dr Ashfaque Hasan Khan, Director General of NIPS-NUST, examined transformations in the international financial system as the world moves towards a multipolar order.
Speaking on “From Exorbitant Privilege to Exorbitant Nightmare: Multipolar Financial Architecture in a Multipolar World is Now a Reality,” he analysed how shifting global power dynamics are reshaping international financial arrangements.
Another keynote address was delivered by Dr Hassan Jalil, Principal JSPPL, on “Beyond Security and Development: Rethinking Leadership, Governance and Public Policy in a Transforming Global Order.”
His presentation highlighted the importance of innovative leadership, responsive public policy and adaptive governance in addressing increasingly complex geopolitical and development challenges.
AI, displacement and human security discussed
The conference featured interdisciplinary technical sessions examining the relationship between national security priorities, economic development and social inclusion.
A session titled “Security, Development and Inclusion: Whose Security?” explored how contemporary policy frameworks balance development objectives with security concerns and whose interests receive priority.
Another session, “Displacement, Identity and Human Security,” chaired by Prof Dr Faisal Jamil of S3H, examined the social and economic consequences of global instability, particularly the challenges facing displaced populations.
The discussions considered how displacement and identity-related issues influence human security and broader development outcomes.
The third thematic session, “Emerging Technologies and the New Asymmetries of Insecurity,” was chaired by Dr Rubina Waseem of CIPS.
Participants examined the security implications of artificial intelligence, commercially available unmanned aerial vehicles and digital information security.
The session also explored how emerging technologies could influence strategic stability, create new security vulnerabilities and present challenges for global governance.
Interdisciplinary research essential for emerging challenges
Concluding the conference, Dr Ansar Jamil, Professor of Practice and Head of the Department of International Security at CIPS-NUST, stressed the importance of sustained academic engagement and interdisciplinary research.
He emphasised that addressing contemporary strategic and economic uncertainties required cooperation among researchers, policymakers and experts from different disciplines.
The conference provided a platform for examining how traditional approaches to security and development could be reconsidered in response to technological transformation, evolving international power structures and changing human security needs.
Through its discussions, ICBMASS-2026 highlighted the importance of integrating security, governance and sustainable development considerations into policy research and decision-making.