Ms. Farah Naz Akbar, Parliamentary Secretary for Federal Education and Professional Training and National Heritage & Culture Division, paid an official visit to the Higher Education Commission (HEC), where she met with a U.S. delegation discussing academic cooperation between Pakistan and the United States.
The U.S. delegation included Mr. Andy Halus, Minister Counselor for Public Diplomacy; Ms. Heidi Smith, Director, Public Engagement; Ms. Heather Murphy, Public Diplomacy Officer; and Mr. Sharif Sabir, Education Specialist. Discussions focused on the Fulbright Program’s cost-sharing mechanism, noting the U.S. Government’s annual contribution of USD 21 million and the need for a more balanced and sustainable cost-sharing arrangement from Pakistan’s side, along with timely institutional responses.
The meeting also reviewed HEC’s curriculum support for universities offering American-style programs, including Forman Christian College University’s (FCCU) pending request for curriculum revision and exemption under the 2023 undergraduate policy in view of its accreditation candidacy with the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).
