WASHINGTON: The Embassy of Pakistan in Washington DC hosted a group of 98 Pakistani students who are attending the US government-funded Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (also known as the Global UGRAD Program).
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Global UGRAD Program for Pakistan.
The program works under the aegis of US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and has supported over 2000 young leaders from across Pakistan since its inception.
The participants of this year’s program originate from different areas of Pakistan including Gilgit-Baltistan and FATA and belong to multifarious academic fields ranging from engineering, business, medicine and social sciences. The students will go to 58 different host institutions in 31 States across the United States.
The Director of the Office of Academic Exchange Programs Ms. Mary Kirk and the Director of the South and Central Asia Press and Public Diplomacy Office at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural affairs Ms. Kerri Hannan were also in attendance.
Both of them thanked Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Dr Asad Majeed Khan for hosting luncheon and giving an overwhelming welcome to the participants of the program.
They briefed the ambassador and the participants about the program and its history.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan welcomed the participants and briefed them on a range of vital foreign policy issues. Ambassador Khan emphasized the importance of seven decades old Pak-US bilateral relationship, of which educational exchanges is an important component.
Very happy to host a group of 98 young & bright UGRAD fellows from Pakistan visiting U.S. for a semester at various universities across US. Educational cooperation remains a key pillar of our relationship. @PakEmbassyDC @ForeignOfficePk pic.twitter.com/EAkKsEA3Ca
— Asad M. Khan (@asadmk17) January 3, 2020
The ambassador expressed confidence in further fortification of this long standing relationship in the years to come.
In his concluding remarks, the ambassador encouraged the students to make best use of their stay in the United States through enhancing their learning abilities, capacity building and active engagement with the local community. He expressed the hope that this program will help polish their professional and leadership skills.
