British Council honours Pakistanis graduating from the UK by MUFTPAKISTAN
The British Council held a celebratory ceremony in Islamabad for Pakistani students who completed their studies in the UK but were unable to attend their graduation ceremonies.
Organised with the support of the British High Commission, the ceremony honoured over 200 of the many thousand Pakistanis who have graduated from UK universities and encourage the brightest and the best Pakistani students to study in the UK.
Pakistan and the UK enjoy strong social, economic and cultural ties rooted in years of a shared history. As a result, the UK remains a favourite destination for Pakistanis seeking educational opportunities abroad. However, many Pakistani students who return from the UK express disappointment at having missed out on their graduation ceremonies. Yesterday's event in Islamabad is the first of a series of three events providing an opportunity for alumni from UK universities to relive their graduation moments and to celebrate their academic achievements with their loved ones.
Alumni received certificates of achievement from the British Deputy High Commissioner, Alison Blake.
Speaking ahead of the event, appreciating the contributions of Pakistan’s UK alumni, Alison Blake said:
“The thousands of Pakistani graduates from UK universities embody the strong and lasting connections between our two countries. These are remarkable individuals who are working towards building a brighter, better future for Pakistan and we are proud of their achievements.”
Since a very large number of Pakistanis go to the UK each year for education, there is a big alumni presence in the country which the British Council was keen to work with.
Commenting on their work in this area, British Council Country Director, David Martin said:
“To organise this alumni and assist them in networking with each other, the British Council has established the British Alumni Association of Pakistan (BAAP). The organisation has four provincial chapters and many other smaller sub-chapters across the country. I encourage all graduates of UK universities to join their local chapters.”
The ceremony included a panel of distinguished guest speakers with a wide range of professional achievements to their credit. Notable names include Pakistan’s foremost nuclear physicist Dr. Samar Mubarkmand, leading journalist Dr. Moeed Pirzada and politician Shah Mehmood Qureishi.
This is the first time that such event has been held in Pakistan to honour and acknowledge the academic achievement of UK graduates. Similar events will be held in Karachi and Lahore later this month to honour the UK alumni across Pakistan.
The British Council, in collaboration with British High Commission, is committed to supporting higher education in Pakistan. Each year, the British Council administers a number of scholarships like Chevening, Charles Wallace fellowships and Commonwealth scholarships. Under Chevening Scholarships programme alone, over £550,000 was spent to send 23 Pakistani scholars to the UK last year in September for a one year postgraduate degree programme. The scholarships allow Pakistani students the chance to benefit from the UK’s tradition of academic excellence and make productive contributions to their society back home.
Further information
British Council
We are the United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations and are represented in more than 100 countries worldwide. Founded in 1934, we have been operating for over 75 years. In Pakistan, we are active since 1948.We create international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and build trust between them worldwide. We work in the arts, English, education and society - including science and sport - and through this contribute to the security and prosperity of the UK and over 100 other countries where we work. We call this, cultural relations.
Last year we engaged face to face with 18.4 million people and reached 652 million. We are a non-political organisation which operates at arm’s length from government. Our total turnover in 2009/10 was £705 million, of which our grant-in-aid from the British government was £211 million.
For more information, please visit our website.
Internationalising Higher Education
The British Council has taken a number of initiatives under its Internationalising Higher Education Programme and working with many government and private partners both in Pakistan and in the UK to promote and improve Higher Education in Pakistan.Article from uk in Pakistan
