"The outcomes of this project will help Pakistani universities raise their profiles in the local and international markets and enable Pakistani youth to create new businesses and thereby expand the job market, alleviate poverty, and reduce extremism, which beget from a lack of hope and opportunity," Acting Consul General John Warner said.
The focus of this $250,000 Pakistan Workforce Development Project is to strengthen student transition from education to employment by implementing strategies found successful in American universities, such as building an enduring, mutually beneficial partnership between universities and industry.
Highlighting the US assistance to Pakistan in the education and technology sectors in Sindh, the Acting Consul General informed that the US is currently partnering with 420 schools in rural Sindh to build capacity in information and communications technology. "Four thousand students, 800 teachers, and 4,000 out-of-school students will receive ICT training as a result of the initiative," John Warner noted.
The US State Department initially funded the million dollar Ball State University-Isra University partnership from 2012 to 2015. On the basis of the accomplishments from that partnership, the academic journey was further extended for one year in 2016 and transformed into the Pakistan Work Force Development Project.
One of the most important segments of this project was to assist ten additional Pakistani universities to achieve similar achievements related to career services and entrepreneurship. These universities are: University of Peshawar, Institute of Management Sciences Peshawar, Karakoram International University Gilgit, Kohat University of Science & Technology, University of Science & Technology Bannu, Sukkur Institute of Business Administration, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, University of Balochistan, Sardar Bahadur Khan Women's University of Quetta, and Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering, & Management Sciences.
Earlier, the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Isra University, Hyderabad, Dr Hameedullah Kazi in his remarks highlighted Isra University's role in achieving objectives of the project. Other keynote speakers of the conference included Dr Kenneth Holland and Dr Julie Lebo from Ball State University.-PR