The Institute of Information Management, University of the Punjab, organized an academic talk on February 13, 2026, focusing on global learning and academic exchange in Library and Information Science (LIS). A large number of PhD & M.Phil students and Faculty Members participated.
The session featured Dr. Dan Roland (American Academician and researcher) and Dr. Waseem Afzal (Academician and Researcher from Australia) as distinguished speakers. Dr. Roland shared his personal and professional journey, explaining how life experiences shape research interests. He emphasized curiosity as the cornerstone of good research and discussed the progression from data to wisdom using practical examples from qualitative case study research.

Following this, Dr. Waseem Afzal highlighted the nature and purpose of knowledge, disciplinary and contextual understanding, and the importance of developing research that aligns with local realities. He stressed the need to examine whether existing LIS theories are applicable in Pakistan and encouraged scholars to explore unresolved and context-specific research problems.
The speakers also identified emerging research areas, including AI literacy, misinformation and fake news, health information, and the role of information in holistic human development. The talk concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session, providing valuable insights for students, researchers, and faculty members.
Prof. Dr. Shafiq ur Rehman also shared his insights about research and scholarships at the international level. Participants appreciated the effort and stressed that this kind of talk should continue in the future. At the end of the program, shields were presented to speakers.