The university fairs were, by no means, the only highlight of the EducationUSA South Asia Tour that brought 20 U.S. universities to Pakistan in February. Team EducationUSA provided various other platforms to make the tour as beneficial as possible, including carefully curated visits to local high schools and universities and networking teas in all three cities.
On the ground
Structured visits to local schools and universities underscored the many higher education opportunities available in the United States for Pakistanis, while also showcasing the talent and drive of Pakistani students to the visiting universities. Representatives were able to get a feel of the institutions and observe first-hand the untapped potential in the country.
A highlight was the trip to Cadet College Hasanabdal, an hour away from Islamabad. This visit morphed into a mini university fair as the school administration also invited other schools in the vicinity to benefit from the presence of the representatives. Once the visit concluded, the group enjoyed a horse-riding activity and a musical performance.
All in all, the group toured 15 high schools and 7 universities across the three cities.
One-on-one connections
EducationUSA also arranged networking teas in each city specifically to facilitate interaction and connection-building between the visiting representatives and local high school counselors and university officials. These events enabled participants to share trends, application insights from both perspectives, and identify avenues for collaborations.
“The networking teas provided us representatives a great opportunity to connect with Pakistani high school counselors and benefit from conversations about educational trends and best practices so we can provide the best assistance to students,” said Jameela Abdullah from Kent State University. “The insight from counselors is invaluable for universities.”
Warda Khan, a college counselor from TNS, a leading IB school in Lahore, agreed.
“EducationUSA’s networking tea was a great idea to promote collaboration among counselors across the city. It also helped us get priceless first-hand information from U.S. university representatives. I am really looking forward to more such events that encourage teamwork for the benefit of our students,” said Khan.
U.S. embassy and consulate staff also participated in these social events. Over delicious food and drinks, conversations flowed into the evening.
