More than 600 students have participated in the fellowship programme since it was launched in 2010. PHOTO: FILE
Saba Afridi is visibly elated. She is among 95 students who will soon depart for a semester of study at different US colleges and universities under the Global Undergraduate (Global Ugrad) fellowship programme, funded by the US government.
Afridi, who is from Khyber Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), said she initially found it hard to explain to her father why she wanted to attend a semester in the United States.
“I want to be exposed to various cultures different from my own and explore the opportunities this experience has to offer,” said a confident Afridi, who is a third-year student at Fatima Jinnah Medical College in Lahore. “Who knows, I might end up changing my career path?” she added.
Meanwhile, Sadaf — a second-year BBA student at Hamdard University — is very keen on pursuing her field of study after she returns from the exchange semester. She said she wants to learn from and interact with like-minded individuals during fellowship programme. Sadaf is from Balochistan.
While congratulating the students, US Deputy Chief of Mission Richard Hoagland said, “We welcome more than 1,000 Pakistanis in the United States each year on our many exchange programmes, which clearly demonstrates the depth of our commitment to Pakistan’s young people.”
“The really exciting thing about this group of undergraduates is that so many of these students come from remote, economically disadvantaged areas,” said USEFP Executive Director Rita Akhtar.
This year’s group includes 36 students from Punjab, 28 from Sindh, 20 from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 14 from Gilgit-Baltistan, nine from Balochistan, four from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, three from Fata and two from Islamabad. More than half of the students — 54 out of 95 — are women. The students will pursue degrees in a wide variety of disciplines including humanities and social sciences, engineering, basic sciences, law, art and design, economics and business administration at 50 different colleges and universities across the US.
More than 600 students have participated in the fellowship programme since it was launched in 2010.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2013.
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it is very good opportunity for pakistani students.Exchange programs is necessary for every student who wants to serve other countries.It cretes harmony n understandings among different cultures
I did my exchange in Macau and it was a life time experience. Pakistani universities should start working on exchange programs because it really helps you learn about other culture.