Nine Pakistanis among finalists for British Council alumni awards

The Pakistanis were selected in the entrepreneurial, professional achievement and social impact categories

The British Council on Friday announced the names of nine Pakistanis among other finalists for awards celebrating outstanding achievements by the international alumni of UK universities.

The Study UK Alumni Awards, created by the British Council in partnership with UK higher education institutions, intends to recognise outstanding success by people who have studied at UK higher education institutions within the last 15 years, according to a statement issued by the council.

The finalists from Pakistan were selected in the entrepreneurial, professional achievement, and social impact categories.

Those chosen for the professional achievement award included Umar Saif from the University of Cambridge, Amna Zamir from the University of Leicester, and Usman Qamar from the University of Manchester.

Saif is currently head of the Punjab IT Board, while Zamir is a sitting judge, and Qamar heads the Knowledge and Data Engineering Research Centre at National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad.



Pakistanis that made their mark in the entrepreneurial category, were Ahmed Daniyal Siddiqui from the University of Strathclyde, Nousheen Zakaria from the University of Leeds and University of Sheffield, and Muhammad Sibtain Jiwani from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Similarly, those finalised for the social impact awards included Abia Akram from the University of Warwick, Muhammad Kamran Siddiqui from Queen Mary University, London and Moneeza Burney from Sheffield Hallam University.

14 award ceremonies will take place this year in Pakistan, Egypt, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey and the USA.

Top alumni were selected from more than a global total of 1200 applicants, many of whom were nominated by their host UK universities, the statement said.



"I am delighted that Pakistan is hosting the Alumni Awards for the second consecutive year. The award is all about honouring the success of individuals whose achievements here in Pakistan have been, in some measure, influenced by their experience of studying at a UK university," Rosemary Hilhorst, Director of British Council Pakistan said.

"We celebrate with them and congratulate them not only on their impressive professional successes but in their capacity as 'ambassadors' for UK higher education," the director added.

The award winners will be announced at the Alumni Awards ceremony on February 11, 2017.