Ambassador of the United States Richard G. Olson and Sindh Senior Minister for Education Nisar Ahmad Khuhro inaugurated the newly constructed Department of Teacher Education building at the University of Karachi funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The building is a state-of-the art, fully handicapped accessible, eco-friendly facility that is equipped with dedicated Wi-Fi and media libraries that will serve students and faculty of the university.
Highlighting the United States’ long-term commitment to improving the standard of basic education in Pakistan, Ambassador Olson said, “Together with the Government of Pakistan, the United States is working to improve the quality of teacher education in the country and provide the best learning and work environment for the future teachers of Pakistan. This building will serve as a symbol of the partnership between the United States and Pakistan for developing strong educational institutions.”
The University of Karachi building will be used for two new teacher education programs that USAID and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan designed in 2010: a two-year Associate Degree in Education (ADE) and a four-year Bachelors of Education (B.Ed. Honors).
Throughout Pakistan, the United States government is working to improve education standards by providing a total of $45 million for the construction and renovation of 17 new buildings for Teacher Education Departments at universities throughout the country. The Embassy also supports a wide range educational exchanges that have benefited close to 14,000 students in Pakistan and operates the largest Fulbright exchange program in the world.
For more information on USAID education programs, please visit: http://www.usaid.gov/pakistan/education.
