In celebration of the International Education Week, the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) held a day-long event at Islamabad USEFP Office to encourage students to seek opportunities for learning and growth, with a specific emphasis on higher education opportunities in the US.
Fulbright Outreach and Educational Advising Manager Shazia Khan welcomed guests and highlighted the importance of international education. “Education is a powerful tool, that can help Pakistan’s youth build a better tomorrow” she said on the occasion.
The Access Program, established by the US Department of State, provides scholarships to talented 14-18 year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds for after-school English language classes. Since the program’s inception in 2004, over 70,000 students in more than 85 countries had participated in this program. Pakistan had the largest Access program in the world; Over 5,000 students in 17 locations across Pakistan have benefited from this initiative.
The Director of English Language Programs at the U.S. Embassy, Ms. Joëlle Uzarski, encouraged the Access students to explore opportunities for further learning. “English,” she said, “is a valuable tool which you can use to open doors to further education, better jobs, and friendships with other young people around the world.
The competition for these scholarships is tough, and you have been selected because we believe you have a bright future.”
The event kicked off with a welcome speech by USEFP that encouraged students and parents to take advantage of free-of-cost educational advising and online resources offered by USEFP in three major cities of Pakistan.
Select Access Program alumni spoke of their experience and provided a mentoring session for new Access students who had recently been awarded scholarships. The audience engaged in an interactive discussion, trivia questions about the US, and received fun prizes. Parents were encouraged to continue to support their children’s education and higher education aspirations.
This event was one of many engaging activities organized by USEFP this year in celebration of the International Education Week. Other events included ‘Back to School’ college fairs hosted in Lahore and Karachi, Model United Nations events organized by GIK Institute and International Islamic University, a South Asian Youth Conference featuring youth delegates from seven SAARC countries, information sessions, and a virtual college fair hosting more than 150 US colleges and universities online. Counselor networking sessions were also organized to help empower local schools. Additional US Embassy representatives participating in USEFP Islamabad’s IEW events included Ms Kathryn Schalow, Public Affairs Officer and Mr Robert Raines, Deputy Cultural Affairs Officer for the U.S. Department of State. Mr Raines and Ms Schalow offered words of encouragement and support to student audiences.
International Education Week celebrated the benefits of international education and exchange programs worldwide. This joint initiative of the US Department of State and the US Department of Education was part of an effort to promote programs that prepared young Americans for the global environment and attracted future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States.
USEFP, a bi-national commission established in 1950 by the governments of Pakistan and the United States, was one of 51 ‘Fulbright Commissions’ located throughout the world. Fulbright was the flagship educational exchange program of the United States Department of State.
The mission of the program was to promote mutual understanding between the people of Pakistan and United States through educational and cultural exchange. Since its inception more than 62 years ago, nearly 4,000 Pakistanis and more than 800 Americans had participated in USEFP administered exchange programs. In addition to the Fulbright program, USEFP administered a number of scholarship programs for undergraduates, teachers, journalists, and other professionals. In addition, USEFP offices in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi assisted students interested in applying to study in the United States. USEFP also ran testing centers in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi administering TOEFL, SAT, GRE, and other standardized examinations.
