President of Pakistan, Mamnoon Hussain, today broke ground for a new Faculty of Education building at Islamia University, Bahawalpur, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Representatives from the university and USAID accompanied the President.
This facility is one of 16 Faculties of Education buildings that USAID is constructing to train Pakistan’s future teachers. Once completed, these new facilities will serve over 6,500 students and over 500 faculty members each year.
The two-story Faculty of Education building at Islamia University will be fully accessible to persons with disabilities. The building will include six classrooms, two science laboratories, three conference rooms, a library, 12 meeting rooms and a multi-purpose hall that will accommodate 180 people. The building will be energy efficient and meet all required fire safety requirements.
The 16 state-of-the-art Faculties of Education buildings being built in Pakistan are part of a comprehensive education program being implemented by the governments of the United States and Pakistan. This joint program includes: a $160 million Pakistan Reading Project; construction or rehabilitation of more than 850 schools; establishment of Centers for Advanced Studies in Water, Agriculture and Food Security, and Energy at four Pakistani universities; English skills education for more than 5,000 low-income students; and awards of more than 4,800 scholarships for university students through the Pakistan-USAID Merit and Needs Based Scholarship Program.
