Daily Times

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Masood Khan, has told a group of 25 Pakistani students, currently in the U.S. on an education programme, to use this opportunity to broaden their intellectual horizon.

The students are here under ‘Study of the US Institutes’ (SUSI) programme, which is aimed at fostering cross-cultural understanding and promoting educational cooperation between Pakistan and the US.

The 5-week annual pogramme began in 2010, with the ambassador pointing out that from the 1950s till today, education has been a “robust link” between the two countries.

He congratulated the students, who called on him Sunday, on their selection and for making “us proud.”

“You will take valuable inputs from here back to your own environments — this is a process of cross fertilization,” the ambassador said. Pointing out that intellectual capabilities recognize no boundaries, Masood Khan, added, “Your peers and also the environments in which you work, will benefit directly from your experience.”

He expressed the hope that the experience the visiting students would gain would empower them to replicate and adopt what they have observed during their stay in the United States.

The ambassador reminded the students that they represented a rich civilization, having an experience of seventy-five years in nation-building and surviving many upheavals.

Masood Khan thanked the U.S. government and all those involved in organizing the SUSI programme for their commitment and support to promote educational cooperation between the two countries. He also expressed appreciation for the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and the US mentors for hosting the visiting fellows.

The ambassador also interacted with the participants and invited them to share their thoughts about the programme and its learning experience, according to a press release of the Pakistani embassy here.

While sharing their experiences, the participants lauded the remarkable organizational skills that they observed at the individual and societal levels, the formulation and execution of policies at state and federal level, the interactive environment, the appreciation of diversity, the spirit of inclusivity, the provision of equal opportunities and presence of an informed and vigilant citizenry to guard their rights and discharge their responsibilities. They also noted the relentless pursuit of the American dream as a defining aspect of US society.

The ambassador extended his best wishes for their future endeavours and looked forward to their continued contributions to strengthening Pak-US relations.