Zubair Qureshi
The Embassy of the United States and EducationUSA celebrated International Education Week (IEW) concluded on Friday with a series of events encouraging students across Pakistan to consider US colleges and universities as their higher education destination.
Known for cutting-edge programmes and high-quality student experiences, the US universities continue to provide future leaders with a global learning environment in which to succeed and drive change in their communities.
“Thousands of Pakistanis are already studying in the United States, and we would like to see even more Pakistani students take advantage of the opportunities to study at our world class colleges and universities,” said Ray Castillo, the US embassy’s Minister Counselor for Public Affairs in Islamabad.
“The US government is committed to supporting academic advancement and exchange programs for Pakistani students from all backgrounds.”
Held virtually this year, IEW included the annual High Achievers’ and Counselors’ Recognition Ceremony to honor outstanding students and recognize hard-working counselors from local high schools in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Other activities included events aimed at supporting student artists and filmmakers across the country.
Senior university representatives including Vice Chancellors, faculty members and students joined a panel discussion co-hosted by the U.S. Embassy on its role in higher education in Pakistan and higher education opportunities for Pakistanis in the United States.
The panelists comprised the US embassy’s Minister Counselor for Public Affairs, Ray Castillo, Higher Education Commission Chairman, Tariq Banuri, and the Executive Director of the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP), Rita Akhtar. “Pakistani students can compete with the best in the world, and we are committed to supporting their U.S. higher education dreams and celebrating their achievements through IEW events,” said USEFP’s Executive Director, Rita Akhtar.
