Education expo: Ninth biannual college fair held by US consulate

Twenty universities set up stalls to facilitate students in finding suitable programmes

KARACHI: To give a chance to find scholarships and subjects of their interest in American universities, the consulate-general of United States (US) in collaboration with the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) organised the ninth biannual college fair on Sunday for students who are interested in pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in the US.

Twenty universities from all over the country set up their stalls to help and facilitate students in finding and applying for different programmes in business, engineering, liberal arts and media sciences. Abdur Rehman, from Sargodhian Spirit School, who was looking for opportunities in the engineering faculty, was searching for a scholarship. "I am just searching for good universities and better scholarships," said Rehman, who is in his final year of A-levels. Beaconhouse School System (BSS) Gulshan-e-Iqbal campus' student, Muhammad Wajeeh, wanted to find a university where he can study business and economics. "I have good grades in my O-levels and it is easy to get scholarship for students who have good grades," he said, adding that he wants to come back and serve Pakistan.

"I am looking for a university which provides good residential and academic opportunities," said Irum Nadeem, who was searching for an engineering university for her son who studies in BSS Jubilee campus.

According to the associate vice-president for the centre of international studies at St Cloud, Shahzad Ahmad, there are more than 30 Pakistani students out of the 1,400 international students from 96 countries at the varsity. "Over the years, the numbers have increased and a lot of students come to St Cloud because we have better resident tuitions than any other state," he said.

Meanwhile, Minerva Schools at KGI's spokesperson, Naveed Ejaz, said that they selected three Pakistani female students last year, who are among the 142 international students from 46 countries. "We are aiming for almost 20 Pakistani [students] this year," he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2016.