United States Ambassador Richard Olson on Thursday said the US will continue to support the development of Pakistani entrepreneurs. He expressed these views during a visit to the National University of Science and Technology, (NUST) Technology Incubation Centre. “Societies thrive when people have ample opportunity, this is why the United States supports young entrepreneurs in Pakistan,” he said.
He announced that the US Ambassador’s Fund, which supports small-scale and high-impact programmes for communities throughout Pakistan, will focus on supporting entrepreneurs. He said that NUST’s Centre for Advanced studies, which will focus on Pakistan’s energy needs, is being established by the governments of Pakistan and the US. He said under this programme, three centres will be established throughout the country. “These centres will be set up at the cost of $127 million funded by the US Agency for International Development and will promote the development of Pakistan’s water, energy and agriculture sectors through applied research, training and university linkage,” he added. The ambassador expressed hope for better linkage and said, “We look forward to promoting entrepreneurship and innovation through strong links with the private sector.” The US embassy recently unveiled an entrepreneurship programme, ‘Khushali ka Safar’, which will provide support to innovative Pakistani entrepreneurs by connecting them with American investors and mentors, particularly from the Pakistani-American diasporas and academic institutions.
