Daily Times

The British Council’s Chief Executive, Scott McDonald, is currently in Pakistan from 11-15 November for his second visit to Pakistan, marking a pivotal moment for the organization as it celebrates 90 years of connecting people worldwide. This visit underscores the British Council’s steadfast commitment to fostering deep and lasting relationships between Pakistan and the United Kingdom through education, arts, cultural exchange, and opportunity-building.

Since opening its first office in Karachi in 1948, the British Council has been an active partner in Pakistan’s journey, evolving its presence and expanding its impact to touch the lives of millions. Today, with more than 300 staff members working across Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore, the British Council is uniquely positioned to connect Pakistan’s young people, educators, and communities to global opportunities, supporting them to achieve their potential and contribute to a peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous Pakistan.

Scott McDonald, Chief Executive of the British Council said: “My last visit to Pakistan was in 2022 when we were celebrating our landmark PK-UK Season which marked 75 years of UK-Pakistan relations. I am delighted to be back – Pakistan has one of the strongest operations of any British Council office around the world and I am excited that we continue to create more long-lasting opportunities for millions of young Pakistanis to succeed and build an optimistic, peaceful, and prosperous future.”

Scott McDonald will be visiting British Council offices in Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad. His programme includes attending a special event to commemorate 10 years of the Scotland Scholarship for Young Women and Girls, invigilating a school exam, and attending an event that will look at the progress of six projects granted funding to protect cultural heritage at risk as part of the Cultural Protection Fund which is led by the British Council in partnership with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Scott will also meet senior stakeholders in the government and launch several new programmes.

The British Council has delivered more than 1,000,000 examinations over the last 18 months in more than 40 cities across Pakistan, granting access to globally recognized qualifications for 230,000 young Pakistanis. It has supported 435,000 children to enrol in public schools across Pakistan and through the Scottish Government’s Scholarship Scheme has been able to provide opportunities for 2,000 young women to access higher education in Pakistan – and helped 17,000 girls into school over the past decade.

The Pak-UK Education Gateway, a collaborative initiative with Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission, is helping both nations work together on pressing issues such as climate change, while also promoting world-class research and student mobility. This relationship supports Pakistani students’ access to UK’s world class Transnational Education, with 10,000 students currently enrolled and 55 British institutions active in offering qualifications.

As the British Council celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, Scott McDonald’s visit to Pakistan is a testament to our commitment of building long term relationships and trust between the people, institutions, and Governments of both countries.