Pehchaan 2025 - Celebrating Pakistan's Past Present and Future 

The word Pehchaan in Urdu translates directly to "identity." But those who speak both languages fluently know that Urdu has a unique way of making words feel like more than just letters stitched together. Pehchaan in Urdu is how you feel when you look deep within yourself. When spoken, the word transports you to your innermost self—the color of your aura, the route your dada dadi took when crossing over to the land of the pure. It’s the vibrant color of the rafaan jelly custard your mother lovingly added to the fruit trifle on Eid. It’s the fizz of the bright green Pakola at a family function, the sweetness of meetha paan filling your mouth as you mimicked your great-aunt.

Your pehchaan is everything you are and everything you have been, neatly stacked together, like the sewing material tucked away in your mother’s favorite biscuit tin.

The Ivy Future of Pakistan Conference is here to celebrate your pehchaan. For far too long, we’ve gone without fully embracing the richness of our identities. Pakistanis are constantly forced to fit into molds—expected to be the "right kind" of immigrant, Muslim, professional, or creative.

Today, we invite you to shed these imposed ideologies and truly celebrate your pehchaan—all that you are, all that you will be, and all that you aspire to become.

Meet the Founder

  • Wajahat Saeed Khan

    Wajahat Saeed Khan

    Emmy-nominated journalist and author, Wajahat is the founder of the Ivy Future of Pakistan Conference
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Meet the Co-Directors

  • Amna Khilji

    Amna Khilji

    Amna Khilji serves as the Senior Advisor of the Ivy Future of Pakistan Conference. Amna is the Vice President, North America at Audeliss, a global executive search firm, where she leads the North American practice
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  • Maheen Iqbal

    Maheen Iqbal

    Maheen is a senior at Yale pursuing degrees in Political Science and Advanced French Language. She is a student in the Yale Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy
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  • Aleena Gul

    Aleena Gul

    Aleena Gul is a rising junior at Yale pursuing a double major in Global Affairs and Economics. Aleena is the president of the Salus Populi Foundation, a student affiliate of the Economic Growth Center
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  • Maleeha Abrar

    Maleeha is a first-year Master of Public Policy student at Northeastern University in Boston. She completed her undergraduate degree in Economics from (LUMS)
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  • Haider Sultan

    Haider Sultan is a first-year MBA student at the Yale School of Management and Pakistan’s first Silber Scholar.
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  • Daniyal Virk

    Daniyal Virk is a sophomore at Cornell University, majoring in Global Development and Computer Science. Originally from Boston, MA
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About Us

We are a dynamic team of students from across the Ivy League, supported by a group of esteemed industry advisors, all united by a shared vision for shaping a brighter future for Pakistan. With diverse academic backgrounds, professional expertise, and a deep commitment to meaningful change, we have come together to organize the Ivy Future of Pakistan Conference. Our mission is to create a platform that fosters dialogue, collaboration, and innovative solutions to address the challenges and opportunities facing Pakistan today. Meet the dedicated individuals driving this vision forward below.

Our Partners

Yale South Asian Studies Council

America Pakistan Foundation


Xanadu
Group

Shahani
Inc

Register

Join us at Yale University on April 12, 2025 to explore new ideas, connect with like-minded individuals, and be part of shaping a brighter future for Pakistan.