Mahtab Bashir
mahtabbashir@gmail.com
0333 53 63 248
ISLAMABAD
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| DAS for Educational & Cultural Affairs USA |
He is Ethan Rosenzweig, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Academic Programs Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S Department of State. During his quick visit to Pakistan, this scribe has a tête-à-tête- focusing various academic and cultural programs being offered to Pakistan from the people of America.
Talking about the Fulbright program in Pakistan, the Deputy Assistant Secretary said that Pakistan has the largest U.S. government-funded Fulbright program in the world. “With more than 37,000 members, Pakistan’s alumni network is also the largest in the world. Each year, approximately 800 Pakistani students and professionals travel to the United States to participate in these exchanges”, he maintained.
“I arrived yesterday (Wednesday) and have found Pakistani people very hospitable. The hospitality of the Pakistani community is something which I will remember for a long time,” Rosenzweig said.
He said that the United States is proud to sponsor these exchanges because we believe education is the foundation for both economic development and for strengthening the people-to-people ties between two countries.
About the Humphrey Alumni conference hosted by USEFP, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, DAS Rosenzweig said “This week, I’m attending the 4th Annual Humphrey Alumni Conference. This year’s theme is “Combatting Climate Change is a critical issue to explore, and it’s one to which the United States is dedicated. In Pakistan, I know that our embassy and consulates are hard at work to establish a U.S - Pakistan Green Alliance Framework, which will provide opportunities to strengthen climate resilience, pursue energy transformation, and foster inclusive economic growth, including through initiatives relating to agriculture, energy, water, and more.
Talking about the Fulbright scholarship program, Rosenzweig said this program was the premier international exchange program for students, researchers and scholars. This is the largest US government-funded program in the world. “Under this program, the U.S government has been ensuring that students have opportunities in the U.S. I am overwhelmed because our Fulbright program in Pakistan is larger than Australia, Germany, or U.K,” he said.
He told that over 800 Pakistanis coming to the US every year through exchange program. The U.S has a large alumni network of 37,000 members in Pakistan and alumni groups have been playing an important role in Pakistan by applying the experience they gained while staying in U.S.the Humphrey program is also one of the most important programs, under which the U.S invites Pakistani leaders, government officials and others to visit the country and work on pressing issues, such as climate change, global health, Education and others.
Dressed in formal black suit and yellow neck tie, Rosenzweig said, “I love the hospitality and how welcoming all of Pakistani people have been to me. The purpose of my trip is to promote all the opportunities for student exchange, for mutual understanding between the two cultures, through studying in U.S and for our students to study in Pakistan. I’ve met with our prestigious Fulbright students, Alumnus from both U.S students and Pakistanis on this Govt. funded fellowships. I’ve met with my Humphrey fellows who are distinguished leaders. We are here to talk about how we can make society better by working together. We are talking to our friends from academia who also believes in the power of mutual exchange in academia programs. We’re so proud for our Fulbright Program that has been operational in Pakistan and U.S for so many years, “he elaborated.
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Academic Programs Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S Department of State, Ethan Rosenzweig said mutual understanding is the more powerful network for our two cultures to work together and academic exchanges, through Fulbright, through Humphrey, to study abroad in both countries is a powerful tool to promote that goal. We know that there is a hunger for students to study in USA and we know that we’re very eager to meet Pakistanis desire to study in U.S.
Rosenzweig said, “We want to ensure that American students have that full options and opportunities, and that Pakistanis universities are very eager to host students from across the world, and we wanna make sure through our education network,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, one of the alumni, present there, Mahum Tariq, a part of Global UGRAD exchange program- 2016, said that she studied abroad at Florida Gulf Coast University for one semester during her undergrad program. “I graduated as a software engineer. I took courses in tech and entrepreneurship. Studying in a multicultural and innovative environment and getting exposure to the tech scene of the US enriched my undergrad experience,” she said adding currently work at an edtech startup called Manara.
Freeha Ihsan, another alumnus, while sharing her experience said, “It has been transformative and life-changing experience to be more open person and work for my own community. Since I am back my sense of working for my community has increased and I am working activities for human rights, community and community empowerment of youth,” she said adding she is working with a tech startups accelerator name “ScaleX” and manages her two initiatives focused on financial inclusion and youth empowerment.
