Pakistan, US to hold dialogue on education
From Mehmood Hamdani

WASHINGTON—Pakistan and the United States will hold the first session of high level dialogue on education here on Wednesday. Education Minister Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Javed Ashraf Qazi will lead the Pakistani delegation and hold discussions with the US Secretary of Education Ms.Margaret Spellings and senior officials of the State Department.
The dialogue will provide an opportunity for both countries to hold discussions on a range of subjects relating to strengthening collaboration in the field of education at all levels and consider specific proposals for enhancing bilateral educational cooperation.
The high-level dialogue has been established to enhance and strengthen cooperation in the education sector. Both sides are committed to expand collaboration across a wide spectrum of areas including improving the quality of education at all levels, public education reform process, greater interaction and linkages between the research and academic institutions of the two countries, exchange of students, scholars, and faculty, and facilitation of cooperative activities in the education sector.
According to Pakistan’s Embassay in Washington, the talks will cover education reforms in Pakistan’s schools. In the second round, the US government support for education and plans to address teacher training, the education reform agenda and Pakistan’s curriculum reforms will be discussed aimed at improving the quality of education to meet the challenges of knowledge-based economy.
Javed Ashraf Qazi will also make a presentation on education reforms in Pakistan at the Council on Foreign Relations. The Minister will also speak on November 30 at the Center for International Studies, George Town University.
The decision to establish the High-Level Dialogue on Education was taken during the visit of President George W. Bush to Pakistan in March 2006.
The Joint Statement issued on March 4, 2006 on Pakistan-United States Strategic Partnership established institutional mechanisms to promote bilateral cooperation in several sectors, including energy, economy, education, and science & technology.
Other members of the Pakistani delegation include Ms. Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Executive Director Pakistan Center for Philanthropy and Shahid Kamal, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.