London, January 29, 2025 – The Europe Today: Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal visited Cambridge University on Wednesday, where he held a productive meeting with Hilary Perott, Representative of the Strategic Partnership Organisation.
The meeting focused on fostering collaboration to create new opportunities for Pakistani students at Cambridge and other leading universities in the United Kingdom, according to a news release.
During his discussion with the team leading partnerships under the Cambridge Trust, Ahsan Iqbal was briefed on co-funded PhD scholarships between Pakistan and Cambridge that have remained unutilized due to ‘procedural challenges.’
Expressing concern over the issue, the minister directed the Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to immediately address the procedural bottlenecks and ensure that all available scholarships are awarded to deserving Pakistani students who have secured admission to PhD programs at Cambridge and meet the necessary criteria.
In addition, the minister assigned the Member for Science and Technology at the Planning Commission to follow up on the matter, stressing that no eligible student should be deprived of this opportunity.
Ahsan Iqbal reiterated his commitment to enabling every Pakistani student accepted into top universities worldwide to receive financial support. Reflecting on his own journey, he shared how he pursued an MBA at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania through a scholarship, which he said played a pivotal role in shaping his career.
Furthermore, the minister informed that he had engaged with the heads of major commercial banks in Pakistan, urging them to develop scholarship programs as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. He highlighted the significance of public-private partnerships in expanding higher education opportunities for talented Pakistani students.