ISLAMABAD ( BMZ REPORT )
The Bestway Foundation, announced setting up of an exciting new £1.8 million endowment fund with the world renowned Oxford University to sponsor two Pakistani students at the university every year.
The group has teamed up with the university to create a scholarship programme that will see two graduates from Pakistan study at the university every year in perpetuity.
The scholarship, to which the Bestway Foundation has committed £1.1 million, will cover all expenses including tuition and accommodation fees and will be open to students wanting to study science, technology, maths and engineering-related disciplines.
ZameerChoudrey, Chief Executive of the Bestway Group and Trustee of Bestway Foundation said, “The Bestway Foundation has a history of supporting educational scholarships both in the UK and Pakistan. In Pakistan our donations have now exceeded US $3.5 million and our latest endowment to Oxford University follows on from our five year agreement with the University of Bradford to fund five annual scholarships to support postgraduate students applying from Pakistan.”
Zameer Choudrey continued, “We are determined to contribute to the communities in which we operate with health and education being two core areas for our donations. I am delighted at this new endowment, which will give students from Pakistan the opportunity to study at unarguably one of the greatest seats of learning in the world.”
The Bestway Foundation was established in 1987 by the group founder Sir Anwar Pervez. Zameer Choudrey said that the group contributes approximately 2.5% of its profit every year to the charitable causes. He said that the group, which also has set up Bestway Cement and United Bank, has so far donated over US $10.5 million towards charitable causes.
Mr. Choudrey further added that the future of any nation lies in the empowerment of youth through education. He said that Pakistan’s problems were linked with literacy and once this problem is overcome the country will make rapid progress.
He said that the two Pakistanis will be selected to study at the Oxford University on merit and there will be no interference from any side as to who is picked up or not by the university. He said that the criterion has been set that the two students will be from Pakistan and the selection will be made by the university. He said that this was a gesture of the Bestway towards Pakistan in making sure that Pakistan’s future leaders have the opportunity to study at the top UK educational institution which has produced many leaders of the world. Many current and former leaders of Pakistan have studied at the Oxford University.