By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) will be hosting Pakistan’s first-ever Data Fest-2024 at the Pak China Friendship Centre from October 21-22, 2024, bringing together experts, researchers, and data enthusiasts from diverse fields to explore the critical role of data in shaping policies and driving innovation for a better This first-of-its-kind festival aims to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and actionable strategies to tackle pressing challenges in Pakistan, including healthcare access, social equity, and sustainable development.
Prominent data scientists, statisticians and Information Technology experts will deliver inspiring speeches, showcasing the transformative power of data in policy-making and innovation.
Attendees participated in hands-on workshops, exhibitions, and a data visualization competition, showcasing the latest advancements in data technologies.
Key activities of the event are thematic discussions that will comprise engaging sessions on governance, climate resilience, and more, with participation from stakeholders including NADRA, SUPARCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, and the World Bank.
Further keynote speeches will be delivered by international and regional experts from organizations such as the United Nations and Asian Development Bank.
A total of 50 workshops will be conducted across six dedicated workstations and will cover various data integration and visualization topics.
The event features 80 stalls showcasing cutting-edge data products and tools, including participation from organizations like NADRA, SUPARCO, KPITB, AJK (IT Board), Pakistan Software Export Board, World Bank, UNICEF, UNFPA, Provincial Bureau of Statistics, IT Firms.
Panel Discussions of Data experts on six topics including Harnessing Demographic Data for Policy and Legislation to address Pakistan’s high population Growth Rate, Welfare Monitoring for Better Policy Decision-making, Climate Change Issues, Data Gaps, Bridging Data Gaps for Inclusive Data Systems for Effective Policy Making, Data Integration for Growth and Development, Closing Human Capital Gaps (Education) will also be held.
Delegations from International statistical offices, including, the Maldives Bureau of Statistics, Nepal Statistical Office, National Center for Statistics and Information, Oman, Delegates from the Asian Development Bank and UNICEF will also attend the event. Further, there will be virtual presentations from Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Iran.
An incubation center for research and innovation is specially designed for academia and researchers to showcase their projects, and research work using different data sets using integrated data sets.
Various foundations and social welfare organizations also participated in the event.
From Academia, Institutions like LUMS, FAST, NUST, and Quaid-e-Azam University will attend Data Fest-2024
It is believed that Data Fest-2024 will increase awareness and utilization of data for policy planning. It helps in strengthening collaboration among government, private sector, academia, and civil society. This festival will lead to innovations in data analytics and visualization techniques and will enhance data literacy and analytical skills among participants.
Data Fest-2024 will be the beginning of numerous collaborative projects aimed at utilizing data for societal betterment.
The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics invites all stakeholders to join this vital initiative to leverage data for improving lives and driving sustainable development across the nation.
