FAISALABAD - The Pakistan National Association of Fulbright Alumni (Pak NAFA) is opening it sub-office (Faisalabad chapter) at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad.
This was stated by United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan Executive Director Rita Akhtar at a meeting at the UAF on Saturday.
UAF Alumni Affairs and Incharge Administration and Security Director Mazhar Qayum Awan, Senior Librarian Prof Dr Zahid Atta Cheema, ORIC Director Prof Dr Asif Ali, Dr M Laiq Khan, Dr Atta Muahammad Ranjha and others were present on the occasion.
Rita met UAF Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan at his chamber, and addressed the association at Business Incubation Centre. The NAFA proposed and unanimously elected UAF Dean Faculty of Sciences Prof Dr Muhammad Ashraf as president of the association’s Faisalabad chapter, and Prof Dr Irfan Afzal as the general secretary.
Rita said that they would also provide resource persons to the chapter for GRE International, adding that the USAID was providing 25 PhD scholarships to the Pakistani people for studying abroad in order to enhance trained manpower in the agriculture sector in Pakistan. She said they were offering 100 more scholarships to flourish the country in other areas with the help of trained manpower. She said the US Educational Foundation in Pakistan was a bi-national commission, dedicated to improving mutual understanding among the peoples’ of Pakistan and the United States through educational exchange opportunities.
Mazhar Qayum Awan said the since its beginning in Pakistan, the foundation had sent approximately 2,775 Pakistanis under various programmes to the US, adding that 830 US grantees had come to Pakistan.
The vice-chancellor termed the step a landmark decision that would open up new avenues of guidance for those willing to study abroad. He said that four years ago, only 40 women teachers had been working with the university and now the number had crossed 120. He said that around 70 teaching staffers of the university were studying abroad, while the UAF had more than 200 foreign qualified teachers. He added that the UAF was enjoying good reputation across the globe and had inked 53 memoranda of understandings (MoUs) internationally. He underlined the need for strengthening the relations among the educational institutes of both the countries that would help in sharing the ideas and boost up mutual understanding.