US to open up education opportunities for Pak students

WASHINGTON—Pakistan and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to support the educational objectives of Pakistan as part of their substantial and growing bilateral relationship.
At the first session of the Strategic Dialogue on Education the two countries hoped to expand educational opportunities for the people of Pakistan and create new prospects for economic growth and development in accordance with mutual commitment undertaken by President Pervez Musharraf and President George Bush.
Minister for Education Lt Gen (retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi led the Pakistani delegation at the discussion with US Secretary Education Margaret Spellings and senior American officials. The two countries engaged in wide-ranging and productive discussions regarding teacher training programs; promotion of teacher, student and faculty exchanges; improvement of secondary-level science and math studies; administrative capacity-building, including school infrastructure; vocational/workforce education and training to meet Pakistan’s labor needs; public/private sector partnerships; and the establishment of linkages between the higher-education academic and research institutions of the two countries and training of Pakistani academics in US institutions.
According to a joint statement, Pakistan-U.S. Education Dialogue was held under the Pakistan-U.S. Strategic Partnership affirmed by President Musharraf and President Bush during the March 2006 visit of President Bush to Pakistan. The Education Dialogue was established to enhance and strengthen bilateral cooperation in the education sector at all levels.
“Through the expansion of Pakistan-U.S. cooperation in areas such as these - together with over $200 million disbursed in U.S. educational assistance since 2002 and an additional $100 million for FY07, we hope together to expand educational opportunities for the people of Pakistan, and create new prospects for economic growth and development in accordance with the mutual commitment undertaken by Presidents Musharraf and Bush,” the statement said.
During the discussions programmes for future cooperation in the education sector were also discussed. As a result of these discussions both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation and interaction in the educational field and to intensify and expand areas for cooperative activities.
The statement said that US and Pakistan have agreed to collaborate closely regarding an education exchange for workforce development, relying on a partnership supported by the Department of State, the Pakistan Ministry of Education, Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission, and the non-governmental sector.
Towards this objective, a delegation of Pakistani education officials, including representatives of Pakistan’s provinces, will visit the United States in January 2007 to observe innovative and entrepreneurial community college programs in Florida, followed by the visit to Pakistan of a well-respected U.S. community college leader for consultations with Pakistan’s higher education sector.
The new initiative will be supported by the Community College Program created by Under Secretary Karen Hughes to build capacity in the community college sector in Pakistan and other pivotal nations in Asia, Latin American, Europe, and Africa. Pakistan and the US will continue to promote student exchanges between the two countries as a means of fostering greater opportunity and understanding between the young peoples of our two countries. The two sides will continue and maintain this important area of cooperation through the continuation of the bilateral Education Dialogue through the visit of senior U.S. officials to Pakistan next year.—APP