Moalims

Islamabad - In celebration of the 16th International Education Week, the Education center at the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) organised a series of spectacular events for Pakistani students.

International Education Week is an opportunity to promote and celebrate the benefits of international education and cultural exchange.
Started as a joint initiative between the US Department of State and US Department of Education, International Education Week promotes global learning programmes and encourages future leaders to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States.

The USEFP continued its efforts to encourage self-expression through art and music.
The grand finale of last year’s most popular event “USEFP’s Got Talent” was held at Bahria University.
Islamabad’s talented youth enraptured a packed auditorium with their singing, dancing, and acting skills.
The performances were judged by a panel of celebrity judges and the winners received IPads, kindles and gift vouchers.

“The USEFP’s talent showcase shows that while education is serious business, it is also fun.
International Education Week is a great opportunity to underscore our commitment to education.
The US Embassy is proud to continue to support educational exchange programmes here in Pakistan – for high school students, college students, and postgraduates.
We would like more Pakistani students to study in the United States,” said Christina Tomlinson, Counsellor for Public Affairs.

The third annual Sports Day was held at the Islamabad College of Arts and Sciences (ICAS) and included matches in football, basketball, and table tennis for boys and girls.
Students from eighteen local high schools competed with their contemporaries and the winners were awarded medals and cups as USEFP’s Sports Day Champions.

The Dramatic Reading Contest was a chance for contestants to breathe life into poetry or prose.
Sixty finalists performed in front of a live audience at the ICAS auditorium.

According to the 2015 Open Doors Report, students from Pakistan increased their presence on US campuses by 8.
5% from 2014.
Currently 5,354 Pakistani students are studying in the United States, making it one of the leading 50 places of origin for international students in the United States, and the third largest place of origin in South Central Asia.
At the grand finale of USEFP’s Got Talent, Executive Director Rita Akhtar addressed the audience and participants, “The strong growth in the number of Pakistani students studying in the United States confirms that the United States remains the destination of choice in higher education.
The International Education Week is an opportunity for international students to develop a global perspective and celebrate diversity while encouraging the critical role that international education and exchange plays in fostering mutual understanding.
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Other highlights included the launch of the EducationUSA Pakistan Alumni Network, Pakistan’s first US graduate alumni network and the High Achievers’ Ceremony.
An inaugural Alumni Connect event was held at the Islamabad Club for 60 members to connect with fellow US alumni and professionals.
A USEFP Cricket Tournament was held in Karachi and a fun fair was held in Lahore.
The week also featured webinars and networking sessions for school counsellors, high achievers, and parents.

While this High Achievers’ Event usually celebrated the hard work and success of the best and brightest students, this year, Education USA honoured student counsellors as well.

The students were asked to nominate their counsellors for the Students’ Choice Award for Best Counsellor through voting lines open for three weeks.
Khadija Mushtaq, the leading student counsellor of Roots IVY/Dha-1 got a landslide victory in voting from students all around the world and got the student Choice Award for the best Counsellor in an impressive ceremony at Islamabad Club.

The USEFP team shared that they received beautiful and heart touching testimonials from the students across the globe.
The award was presented by Rita Akhtar, Executive Director USEFP, in the presence of high achieving students, parents and their counsellors from all the leading schools of Rawalpindi, Islamabad and the northern region.

Khadija was invited to the stage in thunderous applause by reading a testimonial written by her voter from EducationUSA staff.

The testimonial said, “I nominate Khadija for this award as she has transformed my life, a student who could not afford to attend an A levels school, not only got full scholarship at A levels but because of her compassion, commitment and tremendous guidance, I am currently studying in the top Liberal Arts School in US at a zero cost to me and my family.
She is a change maker and the hope of youth in my country.

News Reference