The report highlights a disparity between the supply and demand for tertiary education in Pakistan, leading a considerable number of students to seek higher education opportunities abroad, with the UK being a preferred destination.
The report highlights a disparity between the supply and demand for tertiary education in Pakistan, leading a considerable number of students to seek higher education opportunities abroad, with the UK being a preferred destination.
The British Council has introduced its “Mapping International Student Mobility from Pakistan” report, offering valuable insights that may influence future educational partnerships between the UK and Pakistan.
The report highlights a disparity between the supply and demand for tertiary education in Pakistan, leading a considerable number of students to seek higher education opportunities abroad, with the UK being a preferred destination, according to a news release issued on Jan. 28.
The report indicates that the primary motivations for Pakistani students to study abroad include improved career prospects, access to quality education, and financial considerations.
Despite having the world’s third-largest university-age population, Pakistan’s tertiary enrollment rates still fall below the global average.
Major urban centers such as Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad play a significant role in international student mobility, contributing to around half of the students who choose to study abroad.
The report underscores the increasing interest in Transnational Education as an alternative for undergraduate studies, with 36 percent of surveyed students contemplating it in their decision-making process.
The launch event featured the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott CME OBE, Country Director British Council Pakistan, James Hampson, representatives from UK higher education institutions, and policymakers, emphasizing the need to address barriers and improve accessibility to UK universities for students across Pakistan.
”It is wonderful that so many Pakistanis are able to take advantage of the world-class education offered by UK universities,” said Marriot.
She emphasized that there is more work to be done to ensure that UK universities are accessible to students throughout Pakistan and expressed gratitude to the British Council for their efforts in understanding and addressing those barriers.
Country Director of the British Council in Pakistan, James Hampson, remarked that the report represents a significant advancement in informed decision-making for all stakeholders.
He noted the British Council’s efforts to enhance access to international opportunities for students across Pakistan and pointed out the need for collaborative efforts to understand and shape the future of international student mobility.
The UK offers several scholarships, including Chevening, Commonwealth, and Charles Wallace Pakistan Trust scholarships, to assist Pakistani students pursuing education in the UK.
Extending support to Afghan women
Pakistani universities are extending their support to Afghan students, particularly women, by opening programs aimed at training medical personnel to assist the war-ravaged Afghan population.
Khyber Medical University in Peshawar and Abdul Wali Khan University in Mardan, both located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwestern Pakistan, have initiated programs to train Afghan women students.
The decision to open the programs to Afghan students, particularly women, was made at a special meeting held last week in response to a request from the Afghan Consulate General in Peshawar.
The meeting, which was presided over by Professor Zia Ul Haq, vice-chancellor of Khyber Medical University, included the attendance of Afghan Deputy Consulate General Mufti Noor Ullah Hotak and other Afghan officials.
Partnership with Iran
The president of Iran’s Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Dr. Habib Ghaznavi, has revealed plans for upcoming collaborations with the University of Lahore in Pakistan during a video conference.
In a call for convergence of health tourism and scientific diplomacy, Ghaznavi underscored that this partnership is geared towards nurturing bi-national cooperation, particularly in Iran’s southeastern region.
Ghaznavi further highlighted the robust border connections between the Sistan-Baluchestan regions in Iran and Pakistan. Emphasizing the cultural proximity and the high educational standards, he pointed out these factors as distinct advantages for academically inclined Pakistani students choosing to study at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences.
The president outlined that Zahedan University of Medical Sciences comprises seven faculties, spanning medicine, paramedicine, dentistry, nursing and midwifery, public health, rehabilitation sciences, and an institute of higher health education.
