US Govt Announces Scholarships for Flood-Affected Students in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The US govt announced 500 new scholarships for Pakistani university students. The scholars are for those who belong to the flood-affected districts to assist them in completing their degrees.
The US Ambassador Donald Blome disclosed this on Tuesday in Islamabad. He stated this at an event arranged to celebrate the achievements of female scholars in honor of International Women’s Day at the Higher Education Commission.
Key Participants of the Ceremony
Federal Minister of Planning Ahsan Iqbal, Higher Education Commission Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, National Disaster Management Authority Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik, Higher Education Commission Executive Director Dr. Shaista Sohail, USAID Mission Director Reed Aeschliman, university vice-chancellors, students, and alumni participated in the ceremony.
The United States, through USAID, has supported scholarships for meritorious yet financially disadvantaged students to pursue higher education at top Pakistani universities.
In partnership with the Higher Education Commission, the U.S. government has awarded over 6,000 scholarships through the Merit and Need-Based Scholarship Program. Sixty percent of those scholarships have been awarded to women as part of the U.S. government’s support for women’s higher education.
International Women Day
“International Women’s Day not only serves as a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements made by our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, and daughters.
It is also a call to action to accelerate gender parity and to dismantle gender stereotypes”, said Ambassador Blome.
HEC Chairman Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed remarked, “U.S. government support to strategic sectors in Pakistan, especially the higher education sector, is commendable.
The scholarships helped secure university education for many underprivileged students, lifting themselves and their families out of poverty.
Federal Minister of Planning Ahsan Iqbal said, “Pakistan has suffered from catastrophic floods where millions of people lost their homes and livelihoods. The humanitarian response by the United States and other donors is commendable. We welcome U.S. support for flood-affected students.”
Jennifer Andleeb, a scholarship alumna, shared the challenges she faced in attaining higher education and how this scholarship transformed the trajectory of her life. She emphasized that positive changes in society could only happen by investing in education, and that empowered, educated women are critical to ensuring a brighter future for Pakistan.
