IBA Karachi hosts HEC - USAID funded merit and needs-based scholarship program award ceremony

October 20, 2023: The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi hosted the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Program Award Ceremony at the Main Campus. USAID in partnership with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan is offering scholarships to financially disadvantaged students to study in 06 different programs at partner universities/institutions across Pakistan. The USAID-MNBSP has also provided scholarship funding to ease the financial difficulty of flood affected students in 30 partner universities.

The event was attended by Ms. Aayesha Ikram, Director General, HEC; Ms. Kate Somvongsiri, Mission Director, USAID; Ms. Kate Maloney, Director, Office of Education, USAID; Mr. Saqib Ali Khan, Education Specialist, USAID; Ms. Sarah Parvez, Acting Director, USAID Sindh-Balochistan; Mr. Rao Muhammad Azhar, Program Director, USAID-funded Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Program, HEC; and Dr. Khadija Bari, Associate Professor and Chairperson / Director, Financial Assistance, IBA; and other guests.

Emphasizing the opportunities that the program has provided to the students, Ms. Ikram stated, “So far, 6000 students have benefitted from this program. It has changed lives in a spectacular manner. The students are not only given education, but it has helped build their lives, their characters, and careers as well.” She went on to explain that the USAID-HEC partnership plays a crucial role when it comes to students who secure admission based on merit but lack the financial resources to support their education. This collaboration not only facilitates quality education but also ensures that various other needs of these candidates are met through a rigorous process of scrutiny and verification.

Currently, this initiative supports the education of more than 100,000 students across multiple universities in Pakistan. Collaborating closely with these universities, USAID-HEC partnership offers invaluable assistance aimed at enhancing the academic journeys of these students, thus significantly boosting their employability prospects.

Sharing her thoughts, Dr. Bari said, “More than 30% students at the IBA have benefited from the financial aid program. IBA has been able to maintain a generous financial structure because of the help from USAID, HEC, and other financial institutions. There is a diverse kind of toolkit available for students if they face any financial difficulty. The only path forward for Pakistan is through education, and I am profoundly grateful for the unwavering support of USAID and HEC in this regard.”

Ms. Somvongsiri commented, “For 19 years, this program has been providing opportunities to students in Pakistan for better education. The US has a long legacy of supporting universities in Pakistan and is currently supporting 16 universities including IBA.” She congratulated American-based scholarship alumni and newly inducted students who were present at the ceremony.

Students receiving scholarship certificates belonged to different universities including, IBA Karachi, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), University of Karachi (UoK), Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam (SAUT), and Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET).

The ceremony concluded with Dr. Bari presenting mementos to the USAID and HEC representatives.