Pakistani diplomat urges more student exchanges between US, Pak educational institutions

CHICAGO: A senior Pakistani diplomat has stressed the need for stepping up exchange of students as part of efforts to further strengthen US-Pakistan relations.

Speaking at a dinner of Fulbright Pakistan Seminar in the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin, Consul General Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, urged Pakistani students to work hard in pursuing their studies here and take their expertise back home.

Daniel Rosenblum, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Press and Public Diplomacy and Regional Affairs Bureau for South and Central Asian Affairs of State Department, was among those present.

Tirmizi appreciated the university's role for mentoring the young generation around the globe, and expressed thanks for holding the Pakistan Seminar.

The University of Wisconsin, Madison, is one of America's top public universities capable of providing a collegiate experience comparable with the Ivy League.

Around 177 Pakistani Fulbright students are currently enrolled in top Universities in United States in the field of natural and applied sciences, representing the highest number from any country in the US.

Tirmizi expressed satisfaction over the fact that 55% of Pakistani Fulbright students are women hailing from all the four provinces as well as FATA and Northern areas.

He said that government of Pakistan has agreed to contribute US$ 5 million a year to this programme for the next five years.