The United States Agency of International development (USAID) has established astonishing commitment to higher education in Pakistan by launching a flagship programme of merit and needs based scholarships, in partnership with Higher Education Commission, for graduate and post graduate students to study in 30 top ranked universities in the country.
A meeting of the USAID-funded Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Program, scholars was organized at the Governor’s House in Karachi. The USAID-funded Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Program (MNBSP) counts over 2,400 young men and women as graduates who are now contributing to a better Pakistan and its development goals.
Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and Dr Tariq Banuri, Chairperson Higher Education Commission, Vice Chancellors of the universities of Sindh along with HEC-USAID scholarship beneficiaries and alumni from Sindh attended the meeting.
Sindh Governor Imran Ismail valued USAID’s role in sustaining higher education in Pakistan, including in Sindh province, and hoped for successful persistence of the ongoing partnership.
Imran Ismail said that “The USAID-funded scholarships enabled many brilliant students to achieve their dream of higher studies without being constrained due to financial difficulties. I see this as an excellent investment into the future of Pakistan for which we are all thankful to the USAID.”
Dr Tariq Banuri, Chairperson Higher Education Commission, described his viewpoint on the premeditated partnership between US and Pakistan towards the endorsement of higher education with the audience, Our objective is to create opportunities for the talented students, faculty and researchers to generate a human resource which are productive in building Pakistan a vibrant society and exemplary for the upcoming generation.
Vice Chancellors of the Sindh universities who were also present much-admired USAID for its efforts to educate their students and uttered pride at seeing them at the places they are today. It is significant to mention that under this flagship program, so far, 1112 young students belonging to financially disadvantaged families from the province of Sindh have received financial assistance to continue their higher education.