Programmes launched for Pakistanis to access education, training in US

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Masood Khan on Sunday lauded the launch of two programmes to help students and professionals access quality education and professional training in the United States.

The landmark programmes — Tahira Khatoon Educational Programme and the Nagy Loan Programme for Physicians — have been launched under the US SHAPE initiative aimed at further advancing the cause of social justice, healthcare access, advocacy, poverty alleviation, and education, as the acronym denotes. 

Terming Pakistani American physicians as “bridge builders” between Pakistan and the US, Khan called the initiative instrumental in providing Pakistani students with better educational opportunities and cementing educational linkages and exchanges between both countries. 

“The US State Department has remained a steadfast partner in our efforts to strengthen Pak-US educational linkages and connect our students with US academic institutes,” the ambassador said.

He also advocated for a short-term objective of doubling the number of Pakistani students in the US to 16,000 across various fields, emphasising the need of increasing the number of Pakistani students in the US.

Khan emphasised the importance of expanding chances for Pakistani engineers, IT experts, managers, and entrepreneurs who desire to benefit from the expertise of US institutes in their particular fields.

‘17% rise in Pakistani students studying in US this year’

Rao Kamran, Chairman of US SHAPE, discussed the Nagy Loan Programme’s history and success. This interest-free lending programme, launched in 2015 by the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA), has been a lifeline for disadvantaged physicians wishing to take the USMLE.

Over 30 physicians have finished residency and fellowship training successfully, returning all of their loans during the first year of training.

Dr Nafees Nagy donated $100,000 to the Nagy Loan Programme, and Dr Rao Kamran Ali contributed $50,000.

The State Department’s Nate Lynn acknowledged the value of educational exchange and noted a 17% increase in Pakistani students studying in the US over the previous year, propelling Pakistan to the 18th position on the global list. He praised the US SHAPE initiative and promised to make the student visa procedure easier.

It was revealed that US SHAPE has expanded its portfolio to include engineering and IT support.

Envoy Masood Khan praised the SHAPE acronym for its broad vision and praised Syed Javaid Anwar for his economic skills and charity endeavours. He promised the Pakistani community of the Embassy’s and Consulates’ ongoing assistance.

Envoy Masood Khan praised the SHAPE acronym for its broad vision and praised Syed Javaid Anwar for his economic skills and charity endeavours. He promised the Pakistani community of the Embassy’s and Consulates’ continued support.

Syed Javaid Anwar spoke on his own experience, underlining the transformative power of assistance and chance. He encouraged participants with his message of shared blessings and charity as he reflected on his journey from Pakistan to the United States. His catchphrase, “If you’re blessed, let’s share it,” served as a rallying cry for subsequent generations.

The envoy complimented the whole US SHAPE team on their efforts to make the goal a reality.

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