CERP

13/05/2026

At the Civil Services Academy, Lahore, CERP had the opportunity to engage with senior civil servants from Bangladesh under the Pakistan-Bangladesh Knowledge Corridor initiative in a session on evidence-based policy design.

Led by Maroof A. Syed, the session looked at how evidence should be driving policy from the start, not just backing it up after decisions are already made. Through discussions on renewable energy, climate resilience, AI in the public sector and equitable tax reform, it was an honest exchange of ideas and learning across institutions and borders, further strengthening the knowledge partnership between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

12/05/2026

When we launched the Femtech Innovation Hub (FIHP), we made a promise: Pakistan’s women’s health innovators would not build alone.

Today, that promise became a room full of believers. CERP and LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship hosted the Investor Summit, bringing together graduates of the FIHP acceleration program, Pakistan’s leading venture capitalists, angel investors and ecosystem builders.

Two standout ventures from our cohort took the stage: Be Me, which redefines mental health access for women and workplaces and EZShifa, which delivers affordable digital primary care at scale. The room included leading investors and ecosystem players: Indus Valley Capital, Sarmayacar, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Amaana Capital, Khantastic Ventures, alongside founders and leaders from Exper Labs, Bookme, Truck It In, Innovate 47, Websketchers and Farmdar.

But this wasn’t just a pitch event. It was a closing ceremony for the program. As Imran Zia, EVP at CERP, put it: “FIHP was never just a program. It was the beginning of a movement, one that puts women’s health at the centre of Pakistan’s innovation agenda."

06/05/2026

Degrees matter. But the real flex? Knowing how to keep up.

At Lahore School of Economics, CERP spoke with students about what the job market actually wants right now: adaptability, curiosity, confidence and the ability to learn, unlearn and relearn, especially in an AI-driven world.

The takeaway was simple: you do not need to have your whole life figured out. You just need to stay open, ask better questions and build the skills that help you move with change.

04/05/2026

Last day to register.

Don’t miss your chance to join the CERP Masterclass on Data Analysis & Visualisation. Strengthen your ability to turn data into clear insights and strategic visualisation.

Last date to register: May 4, 2026

Apply now: bit.ly/47N8GCL

29/04/2026

“Instead of thinking of evidence as an output, we must reframe it as a pathway.”

At Harvard Center for International Development, Maroof A. Syed, President & CEO of CERP, shared the developing story of a sector facing a moment of reckoning. Funding cuts, slowed progress, and a growing divide within all stakeholders who work in silos makes it clear: We need to build an evidence journey with a new operating system. After all, evidence must be designed to move, not just to prove.

Watch the full conversation

Evidence Journey with a New Operating System with CEO of CERP Maroof A. Syed

27/04/2026

Graduates of the Femtech Innovation Hub, Fempure, Goud, and Superwomen Pakistan are reshaping women’s health in Pakistan, by improving menstrual care, advancing maternal wellbeing, and strengthening early childhood development.

27/04/2026

Meet the faculty for our Masterclass on Data Analysis & Visualisation.

Rukshan Arif Mian is a Data Consultant at the Bloomberg Center for Government Excellence (GovEx), with Master’s in Computational Analysis and Public Policy from the University of Chicago. Based in Lahore, Rukshan has experience with R, Python, SQL, and Stata across projects at CERP, The Coleridge Initiative, and the Women’s Mobility Project.

Deadline for early bird discount: April 27, 2026
Last date to register: May 4, 2026

Apply now: bit.ly/47N8GCL

24/04/2026

Last day to register.

Learn to make data driven, impactful decisions. Register for our Masterclass on Strategic Decision Making in the Age of AI.

Last date to register: April 24, 2026

Register here: https://bit.ly/4dsSbiU

23/04/2026

Maroof A. Syed (President & CEO, CERP) will be speaking at the Harvard Center for International Development on April 24 in a session titled Evidence Journey with a New Operating System.

Join the conversation on rethinking how development institutions turn evidence into action. Drawing on CERP’s experience, the discussion will explore how organizations can move beyond silos to better connect data, policy, and implementation while building more sustainable models for long-term impact.

Date: April 24, 2026
Time: 9:00 PM PKT (12:00 PM ET)
Register here: http://bit.ly/4vMnAn1

22/04/2026

A proud moment for CERP. And for Pakistan.

Atif Mian’s election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is recognition of a body of work that has consistently pushed economics to do more than explain the world. It has demanded that it improve it.

For over two centuries, the Academy has brought together thinkers and practitioners whose ideas shape societies and expand human understanding. Atif’s inclusion in that company reflects not just academic excellence, but a clear commitment to using rigorous research to take on real, urgent challenges.