Dr. Tania Saeed, Assistant Professor at the Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences (MGSHSS) at LUMS, has recently published a book titled ‘Youth and the National Narrative. Education, Terrorism and the Security State in Pakistan’. The book is a unique window into how Pakistan is likely to evolve in the next few decades.
Co-authored by Dr. Marie Lall, Professor of Education and South Asian Studies at the Institute of Education, University College London (UCL) UK, the book utilises interviews with nearly 2000 Pakistanis aged 16-28 gathered over a decade and examines the relationship between Pakistan as a security state and its youth, specifically in terms of citizenship, education, political activism and social media. The authors focus on the voices of young Pakistanis, their views on state accountability, political literacy and participation.
Talking about the relevance of the topic in the current day, Dr. Saeed said, “The focus of the book is on narratives of young Pakistanis in schools and universities, who are often talked about within political, policy and academic circles, but are seldom provided the opportunity to share their perspectives. We wanted to ensure that these narratives would form the centre of the book, highlighting youth responses to important political moments, their relationship with the security state, and their ambitions and frustrations about their future as citizens of Pakistan.”
Dr. Rasul Bakhsh Rais, Professor at MGSHSS, praised the manuscript and said, “It is a must read for students, scholars and policymakers engaged in understanding radicalism, Islam and politics in South Asia.”
Dr. Saeed talked about her writing experience and said, "LUMS has been central in the writing of the book, with the idea for this book conceived at LUMS when Dr. Lall was a visiting professor. Friends and colleagues at the University have been a constant source of support and encouragement."
