INTRODUCTION
Pakistan is a country of prominent ancient civilizations, including 'Mehergarh' in Baluchistan, 'Indus Valley Civilization' and the ancient 'Gandhara civilization'. Gandhara corresponds to the modern day north Pakistan mainly the Peshawar valley,Potohar plateauand the Afghanistan's Jalalabad region and was the center of Buddhism in Indian subcontinent from 3rd century BCE to approximately 1200 CE. Gandhara is home to the ancient and highly sacred Buddhist stupas in Peshawar Valley, Mardan, Swat, Taxila and Islamabad.

Geographically Gandhara Civilization was situated at the Silk Road so Gandhara culture thrived on the cross-roads of Persian, Greece, Central Asian and the Indian sub-continent cultures. By the virtue of its location it became not only the melting point of cultures but also a hub of religious syncretism and cross-cultural fermentation.

Pakistan is the birthplace of 'Mahayana Buddhism' and the renowned Buddhist mystics and philosophers' such as 'Asanga', 'Vasubhandha', ‘Guru Rinpoche’ and 'Monk Marananta'. 'Mahayana Buddhism' is one of the two main branches of Buddhism which is predominantly being practiced in the Buddhist world. Mahayana Buddhism became the cradle of famous Gandhara culture, art and learning so Gandhara holds significance in the history of Buddhism.

As a holy land of Buddhism Pakistan houses the Buddhist heritage sites, art and iconography. country has the unmatched significance for Buddhist devotees, scholars, and travelers alike. Through Silk Road Buddhism spread to China from Gandhara region and further transmitted to Korea, Japan and remaining parts of the world. Hence, Buddhism is a shared historical cultural and religious heritage for Pakistan and the Buddhist world.

GREETINGS
Pakistan is the birthplace of "Mahayana Buddhism" and the famous 'Monk Marananta', belonged to 'Swabi' current district of ‘Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’, traveled via Silk Route and preached and spread Buddhism in China, Korea, Japan and other parts of the world. Pakistan shares centuries old historical, cultural and religious relations with Buddhist world and is a holy land for millions of Buddhist devotees. These relations should be understood, acknowledged and used for enhancement of mutual relations, cooperation and development between Pakistan and the Buddhist world.

Religious and cultural heritage is a powerful tool for bilateral relations, economic development, social integration and sustainable tourism development. Tourism is an income-driving industry and has positive impacts on economic growth, employment generation and overall socioeconomic development. Buddhist tourism has an estimated market of more than 100 million dollars and 97 percent of Buddhists are concentrated in East and Southeast Asia. Taking the historical Silk Route as an inspiring symbol of cultural exchange we can attract millions of Buddhist tourists in Pakistan which will open the new the doors of opportunities for all the relevant stakeholders.

About
The vision of the conference is to facilitate in exchange of knowledge and research to explore the new opportunities by promoting understanding of cross-cultural connections for peace, progress and development. The objective of the conference is to highlight centuries old cultural and religious linkages Pakistan shares with Buddhist world.

Department of Korean Language & Culture is committed to provide a forum to all the relevant stakeholders to share their valuable insights on how Pakistan and the Buddhist world can come closer.

We are positive that the event will provide a platform to develop interfaith harmony, social cohesion and explore new ways of sustainable economic development and cooperation between Pakistan and the Buddhist world.

About
CONFERENCE THEME
Gandhara Civilization: Unveiling Pakistan’s Intercultural Heritage

Subtheme
Interfaith/intercultural dialogue and Global Peace and harmony.
Gandhara civilization and cultural enrichment.
Sustainable Tourism Development/eco-tourism and language.
Comparison of Buddhist and Islamic values, norms and culture.
Influence of Buddhist philosophical thoughts on Pakistani culture.
Impact of Buddhist philosophies on peace and environment.

EVENT SCHEDULE
Conference Date : May 21, 2024 (Tuesday)
Paper Submission Deadline : May 15, 2024 (Wednesday)
Paper Acceptance Notification : May 17, 2024 (Friday)
Camera Ready Presentation Submission : May 19. 2024 (Sunday)
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Rector, NUML Islamabad

Patron-in-Chief
Maj Gen Shahid Mahmood Kayani HI(M), Retd
Rector,
NUML Islamabad

Rector, NUML Islamabad

Patron
Brig Shahzad Munir, nswc, psc
Director General,
NUML Islamabad

Rector, NUML Islamabad

Chief Organizer
Prof. Dr. Jamil Asghar Jami
Dean, Faculty of Languages,
NUML Islamabad

Rector, NUML Islamabad

Conference Focal Person/Coordinator
Ahtisham Hussain
Head, Department of Korean Language & Culture,
NUML Islamabad

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION RESEARCH PAPER

Instructions for Authors
Author details: The paper must be written in English and may include complete names, Academic qualifications, current affiliations of authors and email address. Corresponding author should be clearly mentioned.
Formatting: Paper length should be within 8 to 10 pages including text, references, tables, charts and the key words. Font should be Times New Roman, size 11, Line spacing 1.5, Paper size A4 and one-inch margin on all sides. Title font should be 12, upper case, centered text in bold format. Abstract should contain 200~300 words along with 3~5 keywords.
References: Authors should follow the APA style of references.
Illustrations: Picture quality of Tables, Graphs, and Photographs should be clear and of good quality.
Originality of work: Only original work will be included in the conference hence, submitted papers should be free from any plagiarism. Research work supported by any person/agency should be duly acknowledged at the end of the paper, before bibliography.
Paper Submission: Soft copy of the article (pdf) must be sent via given email within the given time frame.
Paper Acceptance: A designated committee will decide about the acceptance/rejection of the article and author will be informed via email about his/her research work.
Conference Registration: After acceptance of the research article author will also be informed via email to register for the conference.
Registration: Registration cost of Principle author will be @ Rs. 2,000. Only Principal author will be given the conference material/certificate. If a co-author wishes to receive conference certificate, he/she will get by paying the registration fee @ Rs. 1,000.
Timing of Presentation: Each Presenter will be given 8~10 minutes to present his/her presentation. Hence, presenters are requested to prepare their presentations within the given time frame.
About
REGISTRATION PROCESS

For Presenters
Download the registration form.
Send filled Registration form along with research paper in PDF format via email: conference-korean@numl.edu.pk
Authors selected by the committee need to submit the camera ready presentation on given email address till May 19, 2024 (Sunday).

For Participants
Download the registration form.
Registration form along with Registration Fee of Pak Rs. 1,000/- is accepted by hand at Room No. 103, Lower Ground Floor, Ghalib Block, NUML Sector H-9, Islamabad.
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