The speaker for the session was Dr. Nadeem Noor, State Head, United Nations Population Fund. He is a development thinker, speaker, and philosopher with nearly two decades of leadership across the UN system. Dr. Noor has held senior leadership positions, including currently heading the UNFPA Odisha Office. With a PhD in Gender, Body, and Sexuality from the University of Manchester, he has led pioneering initiatives such as the Demographic Intelligence Unit, the use of GIS and blockchain in development programming, and discourse-based models of comprehensive sexuality education.
In his talk, Dr. Noor discussed how systems of education, management, and development have historically been shaped to enforce conformity rather than critical thinking or creativity. Drawing from the industrial model introduced by Henry Ford in 1913, he explained how management systems were built to prioritize control, action, and efficiency, eventually influencing how education systems were designed—to produce workers. Dr. Noor discussed how capitalism and colonial legacies altered the structure of economies and societies, leading to the commodification of identity, values, and even empathy. He argued that development today is often more about surveillance and order than empowerment and inclusion. In the context of rapid urbanization and shifting job sectors, Dr. Noor stressed the relevance of adaptability, value-based learning, and redefining identity beyond market roles.
