U.S. Consul General Brian Heath spoke to 70 undergraduate and graduate
students and faculty members from the Business Administration and Management
Sciences departments at Isra University in Hyderabad. Chancellor Asadullah Kazi,
Pro-Vice Chancellor Hameedullah Kazi and Professor Qamaruddin Mahar welcomed the
U.S. Consul General.
“I am especially happy to see first-hand the results of the three-year Isra
University — Ball State University partnership,” said Mr. Heath. “The United
States generously supports educational development in Pakistan, and our
university partnerships are at the forefront of these efforts.”
The university partnership with Isra was the very first that the U.S. Department
of State funded in Sindh province. This partnership focused on entrepreneurship,
marketing, finances, management, and information systems. In addition, it
provided for student and faculty exchanges, curriculum development, joint
research and workshops. The highlight was the International Conference on
Entrepreneurship: Business and Innovation for Societal Development held March
16-17, 2015, at Isra University.
Mr. Heath also highlighted America’s long-standing commitment to Pakistan’s
educational development, citing U.S. assistance in establishing the Lahore
University of Management Science, Institute of Business Administration in
Karachi, and Agricultural University in Faisalabad.
In addition to higher education, said Mr. Heath, the United States is also now
funding the Sindh Basic Education Program. “Since 2011, the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) has given $155 million to the Sindh government
to increase and sustain student enrollment in primary, middle and secondary
schools throughout the province,” said Mr. Heath. “We are also building and
reconstructing 120 new schools throughout the province as well as teaching
750,000 children to read.” The goal, he said, is to enroll 100,000 new girls in
school. Finally, the USAID Reading Program has invested $160 million to improve
the reading ability of more than 1 million children in Pakistan.