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Home/About IPDS/Partners/Case studies/Riphah International University
IPDS Partnership Case Studies · No. 6

Riphah International University: a think tank and a university building programmes together

In January 2020 IPDS and Riphah International University signed an agreement on academic and research cooperation. It has since produced a diploma course, a joint research centre, a book and a run of seminars with embassies and on UN observances.

Signing the agreement with Riphah International University, Islamabad, January 2020.
Signing the agreement with Riphah International University, Islamabad, January 2020.
Period2020 to 2024
TypeAcademic partnership
RegionPakistan
StatusJoint work recorded 2020–2024

01Context

A think tank can convene ambassadors and experts; a university brings students, faculty, accreditation and a campus. The agreement between IPDS and Riphah International University was signed to combine the two.

The agreement was signed by Farhat Asif, President of IPDS, and Prof. Dr. Anis Ahmad Khan, Vice Chancellor of Riphah International University, with the Director of Riphah Institute of Public Policy present. Most of the joint work since has run through that Institute.

02Partners and roles

Riphah International UniversitySigned the agreement; partner in the diploma course; hosts the joint centre.
Riphah Institute of Public PolicyCo-organiser and venue of most joint seminars.
Embassies of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and UzbekistanCo-hosts of seminars and round tables on their countries’ relations with Pakistan.

03What was done

  1. January 2020

    Agreement signed on academic and research collaboration. Source →

  2. January 2020

    First joint event: a talk on intercultural dialogue and cultural diplomacy by Dr. Fatemeh Kamali-Chirani. Source →

  3. December 2021

    Seminar on the poet Nizami Ganjavi, with the Embassy of Azerbaijan. Source →

  4. January 2022

    Centre for BRI and China Studies established at Riphah Institute of Public Policy. Source →

  5. July 2022

    Round table on 30 years of Pakistan–Uzbekistan relations, with the Embassy of Uzbekistan. Source →

  6. September 2022

    Seminar on three decades of Pakistan–Kyrgyzstan relations, with the Kyrgyz Embassy. Source →

  7. October 2022

    Round table with the Embassy of Kazakhstan. Source →

  8. January 2023

    Graduation of the Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy and International Relations. Source →

  9. July 2023

    Webinar on China–US relations. Source →

  10. April and June 2024

    UN International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, and International Day for Women in Diplomacy. Source →

  11. July 2024

    Round table after the Astana SCO Summit, with the Embassy of Kazakhstan. Source →

  12. October 2024

    Launch of the jointly published book CPEC: A Decade of Transformation across Pakistan. Source →

04Outputs

1Diploma course: Contemporary Diplomacy and International Relations
1Joint research centre: the Centre for BRI and China Studies (2022)
1Jointly published book (2024)
5Seminars and round tables with embassies (2021–2024)
2UN international days marked together (2024)

05Results

A credential, not only events

The partnership produced a diploma course with its own graduating cohort in January 2023.

Evidence →

A standing venue for embassy dialogue

Riphah Institute of Public Policy became a regular venue where embassies of Central Asia and the South Caucasus discuss their relations with Pakistan with students and scholars.

Evidence →

A jointly established centre

The Centre for BRI and China Studies was set up inside the university, giving the cooperation a permanent home.

Evidence →

Continuity across five years

Joint events are recorded in every year from 2020 to 2024, with webinars alongside seminars on campus.

Evidence →

06How the partnership works

Divide the work by strength

IPDS brings embassies, speakers and the diplomatic calendar; the university brings students, faculty, a campus and the ability to award a diploma.

Work through one institute

Running most activity through Riphah Institute of Public Policy gave the partnership a single counterpart and a regular venue.

Mark anniversaries

Thirtieth anniversaries of Pakistan’s relations with Central Asian states gave the seminar series fixed occasions with each embassy.

07Evidence and citation

  1. Agreement signed (IPDS, January 2020)
  2. Talk on intercultural dialogue (IPDS, January 2020)
  3. Centre for BRI and China Studies (IPDS, January 2022)
  4. Pakistan–Kyrgyzstan seminar (IPDS, September 2022)
  5. Diploma graduation (IPDS, January 2023)
  6. International Day for Women in Diplomacy (IPDS, June 2024)
  7. Book launch (IPDS, October 2024)
Cite this case studyInstitute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (2026). Riphah International University: a think tank and a university building programmes together. IPDS Partnership Case Studies, No. 6. Islamabad: IPDS. https://ipd.org.pk/about-us/partners/case-studies/riphah-international-university/ (last reviewed October 2026).
Diploma courses at IPDS →All joint projects →
← Case study No. 5Young women leaders: a congress built with partnersCase study No. 7 →GIFT University: academia, industry and diplomacy in Gujranwala

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Last reviewed October 2026. Partners named in a case study can ask for corrections at info@ipd.org.pk.

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