Pakistan and the United States have renewed their higher education partnership for five years, reaffirming cooperation in academic research, scholarships, human capital development and educational exchange.
The agreement was signed in Islamabad by United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) Executive Director Dr Peter Moran and Higher Education Commission (HEC) Executive Director Prof Dr Ziaul Haq.
Under the renewed agreement, covering FY2026-27 to FY2031-32, the partnership will support the Fulbright Master’s and PhD programmes, Visiting Scholar Programme, Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Programme and Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship.
The initiative aims to support 66 Pakistani PhD scholars over five years while providing additional opportunities for advanced study, research and academic exchange.
The HEC will contribute at least $4.54 million annually, with its total financial commitment capped at Rs6.48 billion over the five-year period. The programme will continue to operate on a merit-based selection process without fixed quotas for regions or groups.
The agreement also provides for greater institutional oversight, with a Joint Review Committee to assess programme performance twice a year. HEC will participate in selection panels and help identify priority fields aligned with Pakistan’s national development needs.
Officials from both countries described the renewed partnership as an important step towards strengthening bilateral educational ties and developing scholars and professionals capable of contributing to Pakistan’s socioeconomic development.
The agreement follows the revival of the Pakistan-US Higher Education Working Group after nearly 14 years and builds on the Fulbright-HEC PhD partnership launched in 2016.
