CARBS Policy Lab
Introduction
Advancing Evidence-Based Research & Socioeconomic Solutions
The CARBS Policy Lab is a pioneering evidence-based research and engagement framework established within the Chaudhary Abdul Rehman Business School (CARBS) at Superior University, Pakistan’s leading entrepreneurial education hub.
We address contemporary socioeconomic challenges by convening high-level corporate and state roundtables, regional policy dialogues, custom professional workshops, and cross-border academic initiatives. Our methodology links rigorous analytical modeling directly with practical real-world execution.
By engaging policymakers, prominent economists, industry leaders, development practitioners, and global scholars, we actively shape Pakistan’s policy ecosystem. Our strategic outputs focus on structural fiscal reform, quality benchmarks in higher education, sustainable urbanization, and rapid technological transition.
Key Strategic Objective
Translating analytical academic insights into viable, actionable policies that contribute to sustainable development, economic resilience, and solid institutional governance.
Multilateral Interface
Policy Translation
Global Vision
Our Methodology
Core Pillars of Engagement
Evidence-Based Research
Gathering hard, peer-reviewed primary and secondary socio-economic indicators to construct unbiased systemic analyses.
High-Level Convening
Bringing together elite academic thought-leaders, core public planners, and commercial enterprise captains under neutral roundtables.
Capacity & Workshops
Mentoring prospective researchers and training public sector professionals in tools for policy planning, data systems, and execution.
Actionable Publications
Drafting concise, impactful legislative and developmental policy briefs designed directly to aid active ministries and task forces.
Key Strategic Focus Areas
Fiscal Policy & Sovereign Debt
Empowering evidence-driven analyses of Pakistan's debt profile, resource mobilization frameworks, and sustainable national fiscal plans.
Education Quality Benchmarks
Evaluating curriculum reforms, implementing institutional health parameters, and addressing post-decentralization financial sustainability challenges in HEIs.
Technological Transformation
Mentoring prospective researchers and training public sector professionals in tools for policy planning, data systems, and execution.
Entrepreneurship & Labour Markets
Fostering youth start-up models, investigating female professional digital empowerment barriers, and driving regional job-creation strategies.
Sustainable Growth Strategies
Devising policies around environmental climate resilience, sustainable tourist growth, robust logistics pipelines, and smart road-level infrastructure development.
Effective Governance & Inclusion
Advocating for institutional transparency, universal health programs, optimized public-private hospital collaborations, and systemic regulatory clarity.
Leadership & Guidance
At the Helm of Academic Impact
Dr. Mahwish Zafar
Associate Professor of Economics, Superior University
The CARBS Policy Lab is led by Dr. Mahwish Zafar, Associate Professor of Economics at Superior University, Pakistan. Dr. Zafar is an accomplished economist, policy researcher, and public policy trainer with over 16 years of teaching and research experience. She holds a PhD in Economics and has an extensive publication portfolio in national and international journals, including Scopus and Web of Science indexed outlets. As Head of the CARBS Policy Lab, Dr. Zafar provides strategic direction to the Lab's research agenda, oversees policy engagement activities, cultivates national and international collaborations, and mentors emerging researchers in producing impactful, evidence-based policy work. Under her leadership, the Lab seeks to establish itself as a premier platform for advancing innovative policy solutions that support inclusive and sustainable development in Pakistan and beyond.