US Consul General William J. Martin and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak unveiled a plaque at the KP Provincial Assembly today to formally launch the U.S.-Pakistan Centre for Advanced Studies in Energy.
The centre, housed at the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Peshawar, aims to produce technical experts and to facilitate applied research to find innovative and practical solutions to Pakistan’s energy challenges.
This five-year, $15 million initiative funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) enables UET Peshawar to partner with National University of Sciences and Technology in Islamabad and Arizona State University in the United States.
“This centre will bring together scientists from both Pakistan and the United States to jointly combat Pakistan’s energy challenges,” Consul General Martin said. “I expect the centre will also foster better collaboration among academia, industry and the public sector.”
The centre plans to provide scholarships to 250 Pakistani students from economically disadvantaged families. It plans to implement 50 research projects, provide internships to 50 students, and establish five public-private partnerships to produce, store, and manage electricity.
USAID is also sponsoring a Centre for Advanced Studies at Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro focusing on water, as well as a centre at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad focusing on food security and agriculture.
