ISLAMABAD ( BMZ REPORT )
David Hale, Ambassador of the United States in Pakistan, and Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman, Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Commission Secretariat, for the seventh phase of Pakistan-US Science and Technology Cooperation Programme.
Engr. Baligh-ur-Rehman, Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training was the chief guest on the occasion. Vice Chancellors, Rectors, and Presidents of difference universities were also present.
The MoU will provide more than $8 million in joint funding for high-level collaborative research in science and technology, with a new focus on health and other fields such as water, energy, and information technology.
In his address, Engr. Baligh-ur-Rehman appreciated the US Government for its educational cooperation with Pakistan and said that the 7th phase of the programme will bring about valuable innovative researches in critical areas. He said that the joint collaboration will promote research activities in Pakistani universities and will benefit the society as a whole.
Highlighting the government initiatives for promotion of higher education in the country, the Minister said that Pakistani students are benefitting from the schemes launched by the Prime Minister, including Fee Reimbursement Scheme and Laptop Scheme. Lauding HEC’s performance, he said HEC has prepared a master plan for research universities, adding that thousands of students are making their career with the support of HEC through its different programmes.
“The benefits to us all in developing our education, knowledge, skills, and human capacity are immeasurable,” the Ambassador said, adding that “the increase in funding from both the United States and Pakistan demonstrates the level of importance we both place on investing in science and technology.”
Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said that Pakistan and the United States have a long history of partnership in education and research, and this agreement shows our commitment to continue that partnership for many years to come. He said Pakistani researchers are making significant contributions to the scientific community both nationally and internationally.
Since the programme’s inception in 2005, the United States and Pakistan have jointly funded nearly $34 million in collaborative research, supporting 96 projects conducted by scientists and researchers from both the nations working in collaboration. Each year, researchers, scholars, and scientists from the United States and Pakistan propose subjects for research, and are selected for funding through a competitive process. Previous grantees, some of whom were present in the audience, focused on diverse topics, including food security, public health, disaster management, engineering, water, energy, and information technology.
The Higher Education Commission, Pakistan, the US Agency for International Development, and the US Department of State are the joint contributors to the Programme during this phase. The MoU was highlighted as a key area of cooperation laid in the meeting of President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in October, 2015. The Programme’s increased emphasis on health research fortifies the bilateral commitment to implementing the Global Health Security Agenda, an international initiative to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats.