Challenges and Lessons from the Pandemic: What Has to Change?

Challenges and Lessons from the Pandemic: What Has to Change? documents the On Think Tanks (OTT) South Asia Local Conference 2021, jointly hosted by the Public Affairs Centre (PAC) and the Public Affairs Foundation (PAF), which brought together leading think tank leaders from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar to reflect on the institutional, governance, and policy lessons emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference explored how think tanks adapted to remote working, funding constraints, digital transformation, changing research priorities, and evolving government engagement during the crisis. Discussions highlighted common regional challenges, including weak government receptiveness to evidence-based research, growing inequalities, digital divides, public health vulnerabilities, disruptions to field research and data collection, and the need for stronger collaboration between governments, civil society, and research institutions. Participants emphasised the importance of data-driven policymaking, technological innovation, multidisciplinary research, knowledge sharing, regional cooperation, and strengthening public health, social protection, and digital infrastructure to build resilient governance systems. The conference concluded by proposing a South Asian Knowledge Exchange to facilitate collaboration among think tanks, promote cross-country learning, strengthen evidence-informed policymaking, and enhance the role of think tanks in addressing future development and governance challenges across the region.