KARACHI: Two Habib University alumni - Syed Hammad Mukhtar and Swaleha Muhammad Saleem, who received 100% scholarships to complete their higher education, hosted the launch of Habib University’s Al Ihsaan Zakat campaign event, which seeks to expand access to fully-funded scholarships for traditionally-excluded Pakistani students.
Across Pakistan, students from local examination boards represent the majority of university-going-age students; however, only a small minority of Pakistan’s masses are able to access higher education. This is due to a range of interconnected barriers ranging from the high cost of university education, inequality of opportunities across socio-economic classes, and gender disparity.
One of the hosts for the evening, Syed Hammad Mukhtar, an electrical engineering graduate from the class of 2022 who is currently working at Unilever, spoke about his personal commitment to expand access to higher education to other Pakistanis just like him.
“Opportunity and the means to self-improvement should be available to anyone who is worthy, not just the wealthy,” Syed Hammad Mukhtar said. “Let’s commit to giving our youth everything they need to succeed. Let’s give people a world-class education FOR good, not FOR profit.”
In his welcome address, Shahbaz Malik, one of the founding community members of Habib University and President and CEO of Hilton Pharma (Pvt) Ltd, said: “I am a key supporter of Habib University. I have witnessed how this world-class institution provides transformative access to higher education and promotes diversity by supporting students from various socioeconomic backgrounds. That is one of the biggest inspirations for our family to become ambassadors and supporters for this institution and we invite others to join this great cause.”
Sharing Habib University’s aspiration for creating historic opportunities for access to higher education and the role of the larger community in shaping Pakistan’s future, Habib University President Wasif Rizvi emphasized that 85% of Habib University students are on scholarships and financial aid, while 3 out of 10 students are on fully-funded scholarships.
Rizvi said: “Your belief in Pakistan’s potential and Habib University’s mission is creating countless opportunities for students that have been denied for decades. Please join Habib University in helping us make history by empowering young Pakistanis to take the lead in addressing the problems that past generations have failed to solve.”
Swaleha Muhammad Saleem, a Computer Science graduate from the Class of 2022, also shared how a 100% scholarship to Habib University had enabled her to overcome major financial challenges, to become one of the few women in her family to pursue higher education, repay her family’s debt, and become her household’s primary breadwinner.
In his concluding remarks, Bashir Ali Mohammad, Chairman of Gul Ahmed Textiles and Chair of Resource Development Committee, Habib University Foundation, said: “We all need to channel our generous spirit in these blessed months towards supporting higher education, especially Habib University, and expand the movement to reshape Pakistan’s future.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023