Sending off: Orientation held for Community Colleges Initiative group

The 76 professionals will study at US community colleges for a year.

ISLAMABAD:

The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) will be sending 76 young professionals to study in the US under the government-funded Community Colleges Initiative (CCI).

The USEFP held the pre-departure orientation for the grantees on Saturday.

This is the eighth group of young Pakistani professionals to study in the US under this programme.

Addressing the ceremony, US Embassy’s Country Cultural Affairs Officer Robert Raines said, “Going to the United States on this programme will be a life-changing opportunity for the professionals.”

He said that after studying at the US colleges and completing internships in their fields, community college initiative students come back to Pakistan with new skills and knowledge to help their communities.

“So far, 248 Pakistanis have participated in the CCI and had the opportunity to show everyday Americans the true face of Pakistan,” he added.

The Community College Initiative is a one-year, non-degree scholarship programme that provides opportunities for Pakistani young professionals to develop leadership, professional skills and English language proficiency, while studying at a community college in the US.

Participants, during their stay in the US, will study agriculture, applied engineering, business management and administration, media, early childhood education, tourism and hospitality management.

The US Embassy in Pakistan administers the largest educational and cultural programmes of any US Embassy in the world.

Around 9,000 Pakistanis have participated in fully-funded academic
or professional development programmes in the US so far.

Five thousand Pakistani youths are currently enrolled in US government-funded English language programmes in Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 1^st, 2014.