ISLAMABAD ( BMZ REPORT )
The Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan organised on Friday a send-off ceremony of students selected for Stipendium Hungaricum Scholarship under Higher Education and Scientific Exchange Programme. The scholarships have been awarded to 10 PhD, 20 Masters and 50 Bachelors students.
Engr. Baligh-ur-Rehman, Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training was chief guest on the occasion while Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, Chairman HEC, Mr. Istvan Szabo, Ambassador of Hungary to Pakistan, Vice Chancellors, students and their parents attended the ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Guest appreciated the collaboration of Hungary for promotion of higher education in Pakistan. “The Government reciprocates in the same manner, as it accords high priority to promote exchange of students and faculty and initiate joint collaborative programmes,” he said. He lauded intellectual excellence and critical thinking capabilities of scholars and urged students to make most of the opportunity to learn.
The Minister said that the Government has remarkably increased the budget of higher education sector during the last three years. Reiterating HEC’s commitment to ensuring well-trained Pakistani human resource for country’s economic uplift and welfare of mankind, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed said the Government is spending huge resources on the higher education sector. He revealed that since inception of HEC in 2002, the Government has sponsored around two hundred thousand students.
The Chairman congratulated the students proceeding to Hungary and advised them to work hard and fully utilize the opportunity. Good performance from your side will bring you more opportunities,” he said, adding that “you will be the Ambassadors of Pakistan there.”
Appreciating the support of Hungarian Government, Dr. Mukhtar said that the Higher Education and Scientific Exchange Programme, signed between HEC and the Ministry of Human Capacity, Hungary has been initially launched for three years and 80 students have been sent under the programme annually. He informed that the Hungarian Government is going to double scholarships from the next year. He said that Hungary has a population of only 10 million people, but it produced many Nobel Laureates. The inventions in science and technology by Hungarian scientists have great importance for the world, he maintained.
Terming the students send-off a milestone in the bilateral relations, the Ambassador of Hungary said that the Hungarian Government is pursuing a long-term investment in the form under such programmes. He urged the students to bring back knowledge and experience about the Hungarian culture.