Protest this!: Political uncertainty in country delays European scholarships
The foundation plans to award 10,000 scholarships among all provinces
KARACHI:
The political uncertainty looming large in Pakistan has not only brought economic loss but the developmental works such as education agreements have also been disturbed and delayed.
The European Union Education Foundation (EUEF) that plans to award 10,000 scholarships for 26 different European universities was expected to launch in September. However, the foundation's management says that it will be launched in October now.
"We had to launch the programme in September but it has been delayed," said EUEF project manager and media co-ordinator Azfar Bukhari. "It's because of the political uncertainty. But we are committed to launching it by this month."
The Sindh government seemed quite interested in signing the agreement with the EUEF for an 'educated Sindh' but it has yet to show any serious motivation. "The Balochistan government is the first to sign the agreement," said EUEF scholarships programme director Yvonne Hunter.
Interestingly, the EUEF delegation is staying in Karachi but the Chief Ministers of Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, Dr Abdul Malik and Syed Mehdi Shah, respectively, met the delegation and signed the agreements. It remains unclear why the governments of Sindh and the Punjab are delaying it despite the fact that the programme was expected to launch from Sindh.
As for the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, they have not even replied to the EUEF officials about their decision of becoming a part of the programme. Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed also met the EUEF delegation in Islamabad on Wednesday and signed the agreement.
The programme will start from January next year, said Bukhari, adding that forms will be available in all local banks soon after the launch. Bukhari said that the 10,000 scholarships will be awarded in three phases each year. "Over 3,300 students will be awarded in each phase," he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2014.
The political uncertainty looming large in Pakistan has not only brought economic loss but the developmental works such as education agreements have also been disturbed and delayed.
The European Union Education Foundation (EUEF) that plans to award 10,000 scholarships for 26 different European universities was expected to launch in September. However, the foundation's management says that it will be launched in October now.
"We had to launch the programme in September but it has been delayed," said EUEF project manager and media co-ordinator Azfar Bukhari. "It's because of the political uncertainty. But we are committed to launching it by this month."
The Sindh government seemed quite interested in signing the agreement with the EUEF for an 'educated Sindh' but it has yet to show any serious motivation. "The Balochistan government is the first to sign the agreement," said EUEF scholarships programme director Yvonne Hunter.
Interestingly, the EUEF delegation is staying in Karachi but the Chief Ministers of Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, Dr Abdul Malik and Syed Mehdi Shah, respectively, met the delegation and signed the agreements. It remains unclear why the governments of Sindh and the Punjab are delaying it despite the fact that the programme was expected to launch from Sindh.
As for the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government, they have not even replied to the EUEF officials about their decision of becoming a part of the programme. Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed also met the EUEF delegation in Islamabad on Wednesday and signed the agreement.
The programme will start from January next year, said Bukhari, adding that forms will be available in all local banks soon after the launch. Bukhari said that the 10,000 scholarships will be awarded in three phases each year. "Over 3,300 students will be awarded in each phase," he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 2nd, 2014.