U.S. Consul General Brian Heath hosted a panel discussion highlighting U.S. Department of State University Partnership programs in Sindh at his residence on Wednesday. The University Partnership program provides support for academic linkages between universities in Pakistan and the United States. Currently there are 20 such partnerships in Pakistan, aimed at improving the professional development of faculty, providing support for advanced curriculum reform and joint research, and promoting peer-to-peer relationships. In Sindh, the Department of State has supported five University Partnerships: ISRA University-Ball State University, Karachi University- George Mason University, Indus Valley University- Kennesaw State University, National Academy of the Performing Arts (NAPA) – University of Texas at Austin, and IBA Sukkur- Johnson Community College.
Mr. Heath and representatives from both American and Pakistani partner institutions discussed their experiences of the University Partnership program as well as other forms of support the Consulate General provides to educational institutions in Sindh. In his remarks, Mr. Heath explained that “a $1 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of State funds each partnership, which covers a three-year period and includes a faculty exchange and research component. The university partnerships focus on the social sciences and humanities, including American Studies, Mass Communications, Psychology, Anthropology, Business Administration, and Women’s and Gender Studies.”
Mr. Heath used the Indus Valley – Kennesaw State University partnership as an example of the positive effects of the partnership program, stating that “the faculty exchange component allowed Kennesaw State to send an American fine arts professor to Indus Valley University for a semester, during which time she introduced new digital learning platforms, mentored promising junior faculty, and taught cutting edge design courses to Pakistani students.”
For more information on U.S. cultural and educational programs and exchanges, please visit the following web site: www.eca.state.gov.
