Al Karim Datto, Assistant Professor at IBA Sukkur and a prominent sociologist and anthropologist, conducted a session on Integrating Humanities in STEM Education at the Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED). The session was moderated by Dr Nazim Aman, Assistant Professor at AKU-IED.
The session began with questioning whether “integration" should even be necessary if education were inherently holistic. He reflected on human values in leadership, friendship, and education, arguing that education is not merely about degrees or qualifications but also about socialization and subjectification, our relationship with self, community, and society. Drawing on educational debates, the talk invited participants to reflect on a central question: What is "educational" in education?
The speaker problematised the historical division between sciences and humanities, describing it as a product of modern disciplinary compartmentalization. Universities are envisioned as “lighthouses" guiding society, but their purpose seems to be narrowed down as they prioritize funding, market demands, and technical efficiency over critical and ethical dimensions. He questioned why qualifiers such as “moral education" or “value education" are needed, arguing that education should be value oriented.
A key concept introduced was “cultural lag," the gap between technological advancement and society's capacity to understand and position it meaningfully. The cultural lag, the speaker argued, creates a “pedagogical lag," making it difficult for education systems to critically engage with rapid technological developments such as artificial intelligence. In a culture shaped by speed, efficiency, and market-driven values, substance often risks being overshadowed by packaging and performance.
The session cautioned against mechanistic approaches to education that reduce learning to efficiency and technical rationality. Drawing on Paulo Freire, Amartya Sen, and Martha Nussbaum, the speaker emphasized the importance of critical consciousness, ethical reflection, and human flourishing. Rather than rejecting technology, the talk advocated for a dialogical “marriage" between STEM and Humanities, one that preserves human wisdom, ethical inquiry, and reflective pedagogy while engaging meaningfully with technological advancement.
The session concluded by inviting continued dialogue and collaborative exploration of pedagogical practices that reclaim the human dimension at the heart of education.
Rapporteur – Fariyal Mir (MPhil 2026)
