The Third Edition of the Social Sciences Winter School, jointly organized by the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi and the Centre for South Asian and Himalayan Studies in Paris (CESAH, CNRS-EHESS) commenced at IBA City Campus. The theme of the Third Edition of Winter School is ‘Questioning Society Through Image, Film & Sound’. Running from November 04-08, the school will emphasize diverse methodologies, from photography and digital archives to ethnographic film and sound, fostering innovative perspectives and reflective observation in social research and heritage projects.
Dr. S Akbar Zaidi, Executive Director, IBA Karachi and member of the Winter School Steering Committee, opened the session by thanking all those who made Winter School possible for the third consecutive year. He highlighted the value of collaborating with scholars from diverse fields in the study of image, film, and sound, emphasizing how these partnerships foster cultural exchange and collaborative learning. He thanked participants for their continued engagement with IBA Karachi and expressed his desire to expand the program’s reach next year, inviting even more participants to join in this collective experience of learning, working, and thinking together.
Dr. Rémy Delage, Research Scholar of CESAH (CNRS-EHESS) and member of the Steering Committee of the Winter School discussed how the Winter School was “A unique training setup that brings together scholars and participants from various backgrounds and cultures to address multiple societal challenges in a collaborative manner and through the lens of Social Sciences”.
Dr. Michel Boivin, another prominent Research Scholar of CESAH (CNRS-EHESS), highlighted the ongoing academic collaboration between France and Pakistan, noting its role in facilitating Pakistani students’ pursuit of PhDs in France. He emphasized the collaborative framework that underpins this initiative and shared that the Third Edition of Social Sciences Winter School will place greater emphasis on methodological approaches using image, film, and sound as tools in social science research.
Additional plenary sessions were also organized to explore different themes. The sessions included international trainers and participants from France, Belgium, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.
The first plenary session was delivered by Professor Christopher Pinney, Anthropologist, University College London, who delivered a speech titled, ‘On Medium Specificity, Or, What’s Photography Got to Do with It?’. He examined photography’s unique qualities, focusing on its technical and semiotic aspects. Drawing from theorists like Walter Benjamin, Roland Barthes, and Ariella Aisha Azoulay, Professor Pinney explored concepts including ‘photographability’ and the ‘citizenry of photography,’ highlighting indexicality, contingency, and the distinctive ‘screen’ of photography. His talk provided new insights into photography’s role in modern society.
The second plenary speaker, Ms. Saima Zaidi, Communication Designer and Founder & Director, Numaish-Karachi, spoke about ‘Collective Memory: Community Engagement Through Visual Interventions’. She highlighted Pakistan’s visual culture as a lens into its heritage and showcased projects like Jhuley Lal: Crafting the Contemporary, which unites designers and artisans in Sindh to reimagine traditional crafts and Sheherezade: The Walled City Anthology, a Lahore project blending digital art with historical heritage. She also introduced The Reading Project, aimed at revitalizing Karachi’s Khalikdina Hall as an inclusive cultural space for community dialogue.
Dr. Nicolas Puig, Anthropologist, URMIS, IRD, Université Paris Cité, spoke on ‘Anthropology of Sound: Approaches and Knowledge through Sonic Relationships’. He emphasized how listening to the world’s harmony provides insights into human experiences, cultural dynamics, and environmental interactions, highlighting sound as a valuable tool for understanding social contexts.
The multidisciplinary workshops at the Third Edition of Winter School will combine theoretical sessions, field practice, and survey methods, including Workshop 1 – From Studio to Screen: Methodologies of Writing Social Sciences with Light, Workshop 2 – Crafting the Moving Image: Documentary, Anthropological, Ethnographic Perspectives in Pakistan, and Workshop 3 – Sound in Urban Environments from a Social Sciences Perspective: Field Recording, Sonic Archives, and Sound Documentary.
Aimed at students, emerging scholars, and young professionals, the Winter School offers intensive training in using image, film, and sound to examine social narratives, cultural patterns, and representation. This approach encourages critical engagement with social issues, cultural narratives, and ideologies shaping identity and societal change.
