Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United States have signed a five-year agreement to expand educational cooperation and strengthen academic exchanges between the two countries.
The agreement was signed on Tuesday at the headquarters of the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) in Islamabad. USEFP Executive Director Dr Peter Moran and Higher Education Commission (HEC) Executive Director Professor Dr Zia-ul-Haq signed the agreement.
The partnership will support and expand educational exchange programmes run by USEFP, including the Fulbright Scholarship Programme, one of the most prominent academic exchange programmes between Pakistan and the United States.
According to officials, the agreement renews the two countries’ commitment to cooperation in higher education and aims to create greater opportunities for students, scholars and researchers.
The partnership is expected to give Pakistani students and academics greater access to US universities while helping strengthen Pakistan’s higher education sector.
Officials said the programmes would also help develop future leaders and specialists in a range of fields. At the same time, American academics and professionals visiting Pakistan will have opportunities to contribute to research, entrepreneurship and public health projects.
The agreement is also expected to benefit US universities, businesses and other institutions by creating opportunities for greater academic and professional collaboration.
The two sides described the partnership as an investment in education and human development that could contribute to stronger economic, scientific and technological ties between Pakistan and the United States.