Islamabad: The largest delegation of universities, education champions and experts led by the British Government’s International Education Champion Sir Steve Smith has started a five-day visit from April 22 to April 26, 2024. The visit aims to strengthen educational ties between the two countries and explore opportunities for long-term cooperation beyond the scope of student recruitment.
The visit builds on the UK’s commitment to international collaboration in higher education. Organized jointly by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, the British High Commission, the British Council in Pakistan, the Department of Business and Trade (DBT) and the Department of Education (DfE), the delegation consisted of senior UK government representatives to deepen, expand and forge new relationships with the British Council and Pakistani partners from sixteen of the UK’s leading higher education providers and industry bodies are looking forward to it.
The delegation will promote areas such as Transnational Education (TNE), collaborative research initiatives and faculty development programs. The visit is aimed at establishing a mutually beneficial partnership between British and Pakistani universities.
Sir Steve Smith, UK Government’s International Education Champion, said: “I am delighted to lead this delegation, building on the positive momentum of our work in Pakistan. We are committed to developing partnerships that create lasting impact by sharing learning and joint initiatives”.
Jane Marriott, British High Commissioner for Pakistan, said: “Britain and Pakistan share a long history of educational exchange and this visit demonstrates our unwavering commitment to further strengthen this relationship. By working together, our universities can tackle global challenges and develop futures. They contribute to continued development of the education sector.
The delegation will engage with many stakeholders during the visit, including:
Pakistan Representative of Pakistani universities
Senior officials of the Federal Government of Pakistan and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan
● educational leaders and professionals
The visit is in line with the objectives of the Pakistan UK Education Gateway, a flagship program launched in 2018. Jointly funded by the Government of Pakistan and the British Council, the gateway facilitates collaboration in various areas, including those highlighted during the visit.
HEC Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmed said:
During the last two decades, the face of higher education in Pakistan has changed based on the reforms implemented with the unparalleled support of the Government. As our universities are increasingly mapped among the world’s universities, research citations in top journals are growing rapidly and efforts are being made to innovate research and commercialization has shown significant improvement, much needed to improve students’ work experience and international compatibility. Internationalization and collaboration with world universities is a key strategic priority of HEC, aiming not only to position Pakistan as an important destination for collaboration and work which are mutually beneficial in the higher education and research arena in the world, but also to provide excellence, transfer knowledge, improve research quality and research productivity, build management and leadership capacity, and increase access to the best education in the world at affordable costs. The visit of Higher Education Leaders in the UK is a serious effort to join forces with UK universities bilaterally to improve higher education, research and development. The TNE policy launched aims to provide high-quality international education to the public and promote social and economic development. We aim to deepen our partnership with English universities and promote mutual career recognition with English counterparts to promote credit exchange, student mobility and rapid movement of human resources between the two countries. I believe that this visit will open up great opportunities for people and institutions to develop cooperation on a sustainable basis for mutual benefit sharing. ‘
Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Federal Minister for Vocational Education and Training
The Government of Pakistan is committed to promoting higher education and positively impacting people’s lives through commercialization of research, innovation and collaboration between government, universities, industry and society. Global issues such as social equity , climate change, inclusion, peace and reconciliation require international cooperation and joint efforts. If implemented strategically, the youth dividend in Pakistan represents a significant benefit. With the transformation of Pakistan’s higher education sector led by the Higher Education Commission, our youth and academies are driven by growth , innovation and change. I encourage everyone to adopt innovative approaches and promote global development and peace with Pakistani institutions and young researchers.
