press releases
U.S. Ambassador Supports Education Growth In Pakistan
12/13/2006
Karachi - During a trip to Karachi, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan visited two centers of higher education: Aga Khan University Institute for Education Development (AKU-IED) and the Institute for Business Administration Center for Entrepreneurship (IBA-CE). The Ambassador noted that "education is one of the key components of our broad and growing strategic relationship". The U.S. has contributed over $200 million in educational assistance since 2002. Furthermore, it has pledged an additional $100 million in 2007 to expand educational opportunities and create new prospects for economic growth and prosperity.
While addressing a gathering of IBA associates, IBA alumni and other Karachi business leaders, the U.S. Ambassador noted that the Fulbright Program in Pakistan is a symbol of one of the long standing relationship in education. More than 1,700 Pakistanis have studied in the U.S. under the Fulbright program and has become the largest bilateral Fulbright program in the world. It continues to grow and 245 Pakistani students have been selected for the academic year that begins September, 2007. It enables talented Pakistanis to pursue M.A. and Ph.D. programs in the U.S. and promotes cultural understanding between Pakistan and the U.S.
The U.S. government continues working on several established and new projects to strengthen education at all levels. The U.S. and Pakistan will work closely on education exchange for workforce development. In addition, the U.S. Education Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) will recruit U.S. academics who will teach in Pakistani universities in the fall of 2007 and Pakistani English teachers who will come to the U.S. to teach Urdu or Pashto while they study language teaching and U.S. studies. USAID and UNESCO are formulating and implementing a framework for teachers’ accreditation, certification and management in basic education. The U.S. Embassy continues to expand its ACCESS micro-scholarship program to help non-elite high school students learn English. The U.S. government is working on different teacher training programs in Pakistan which will increase the number of female teachers in FATA and improve the performance of teachers in Pakistan.