Higher education: 40 Pakistani students to visit universities in the UK, US and China

IntoUniversity, in collaboration with Success Factor, is sponsoring their trip.

KARACHI: As many as 40 Pakistani students will visit universities in the United Kingdom (UK), United States (US) and China as part of IntoFam, the one-week trip programme sponsored by IntoUniversity.

IntoUniversity, in collaboration with Success Factor, gave 20 scholarships and 40 IntoFam awards to students belonging to different schools of Karachi at Royal Rodale on Tuesday. IntoFam is a one-week trip to different universities in the UK, US and China.

"Studying abroad helps people become friends with [those of] other cultures and make connections," said IntoUniversity recruitment director Jeffrey Bialy. IntoUniversity is a platform that brings together international students and universities in the UK, US and China. It provides educational counselling to students abroad in collaboration with the universities that are registered with the platform. It has also been partnering with Success Factor, a career and education counselling service in Pakistan, for the last 15 years, said Success Factor brand specialist Ayla Ahmed.



IntoUniversity scholarship awards ranging from $3,500 to $5,500 were given to 20 students - 10 from Karachi and the rest from Lahore and Islamabad - for pathway programmes. Pathway programmes are for those students who are unable to get into a university due to their low grades in A' Level or other unfulfilled criteria. Pathway programmes or 'transitions' provide them a chance of obtaining the foundation year programme in a university of their choice and prove themselves by getting good grades and, hence, ensuring admission in the university.

The IntoFam trip awards were given to 40 students who had recommended Success Factor to five other students online. The one-week trip, entirely sponsored by IntoUniversity, will allow these students to get to know about different universities. The trips will take the students to five cities in the UK, two cities in the US and two in China. The students were selected from various top-end schools of Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, said the media coordinator of Success Factor, Zainab Malik.

"I was not even eligible to apply to a mediocre university," said Umer Tariq, a previous recipient of the scholarship during the interactive session. "But then I went for the IntoUniversity city foundation programme. I cleared the programme and now I am in the best business schools in the world. I only got in because I worked really hard in the foundation programme."

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2015.