Pakistan, US renew Fulbright-HEC partnership to support 66 PhD scholars

The government and the United States have renewed their longstanding partnership in higher education through a new five-year agreement between the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) that will also entail supporting 66 PhD scholars over a five-year period.

They also reaffirmed their shared commitment to academic excellence, human capital development and international educational cooperation.

The Ministry of Education and Professional Training welcomed the renewed agreement, which will cover the period from Financial Year 2026–27 through Financial Year 2031–32 and encompass the Fulbright Master’s and PhD programmes, Visiting Scholar Programme for post-doctoral scholars, Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Programme and Hubert H Humphrey Fellowship Programme.

The initiative will offer Pakistani scholars and academics opportunities to pursue advanced education, undertake research, strengthen professional expertise, and contribute to Pakistan’s socio-economic development upon their return.

As part of the financial commitment, the HEC will provide at least $4.54 million annually, with the total funding commitment capped at Rs6.48 billion over the five-year period. The agreed payment schedule provides for $2m by June 30, a further $2m by January 31, and the remaining balance by April 30, subject to the timely release of government funds.

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Any interest earned on HEC funds held by USEFP will be reinvested in student grants, further supporting the educational objectives of the partnership.

The selection process under the renewed agreement will remain merit-based, with no fixed quotas for any particular group, region, or category. The HEC will participate directly in the selection panels and will contribute to identifying priority fields of study aligned with Pakistan’s national development and security priorities.

This collaborative approach will help ensure that the programme continues to respond to emerging national needs while maintaining the highest standards of academic merit and transparency.

To strengthen oversight and assess the effectiveness of the programme, a Joint Review Committee comprising representatives of the partner institutions will meet twice a year to review programme performance and impact. USEFP will also provide HEC with annual audited financial statements, while relevant records will remain open for review by the HEC upon reasonable notice, reinforcing transparency, accountability, and effective financial governance.

The renewed partnership also envisages broader collaboration beyond scholarship opportunities. HEC and USEFP will undertake joint visibility and awareness initiatives across Pakistan, drawing on HEC’s extensive network of higher education institutions to ensure wider outreach and greater awareness of international academic opportunities.

The agreement further provides scope for exploring future collaboration in faculty and administrator exchanges and other related academic and educational initiatives.

The new agreement builds on the original Fulbright-HEC PhD partnership signed in February 2016, under which $25.786 million was committed to support 125 Pakistani scholars during FY 2016–20. That landmark initiative itself emerged from the high-level engagement between the US and Pakistan, including the meeting between then-US president Barack Obama and then-premier Nawaz Sharif in October 2015, and was linked to the US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor launched in June 2015.

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The renewed agreement marks an important milestone in what has evolved into a decade-long partnership between HEC and USEFP and represents the third phase of the Fulbright-HEC collaboration. Over the years, the partnership has played a significant role in strengthening Pakistan’s academic and research capacity and in fostering enduring educational links between Pakistan and the US.

The signing ceremony for the renewed agreement was rescheduled from its original date following the passing of the father of Dr Peter Moran, executive director of USEFP. The continued commitment of USEFP to advancing the partnership despite these circumstances was deeply appreciated.

The government said it remained committed to expanding access to quality higher education, strengthening research and innovation, developing a highly skilled workforce, and creating meaningful international academic partnerships. The renewed Fulbright-HEC agreement reflected these priorities and underscored the enduring value of educational cooperation in promoting mutual understanding, knowledge exchange, and shared progress between Pakistan and the US.