Oxford Pakistan Programme

PRESS RELEASE

The Oxford Pakistan Programme brings a high-level delegation from the University to Oxford to meet with senior government officials, Ministers and the President of Pakistan

14th December 2022

The Oxford Pakistan Programme (the “OPP”) organised a week-long visit of a high-level delegation from the University of Oxford to Islamabad. This was a historic visit by senior faculty from Oxford University. During their two days in Islamabad, the delegation held several high-profile meetings with senior officials of the government, ministers and with the President of Pakistan. 

From the University of Oxford, three senior officials accompanied the OPP team: Professor Stephen Blyth (Principal of Lady Margaret Hall), Dr. Nick Brown (Principal of Linacre College) and Richard Hunt (Development Director at Lady Margaret Hall). The OPP is led by Professor Adeel Malik (Associate Professor of Development Economics at Oxford), Dr. Talha J. Pirzada (Lecturer in Material Science & Junior Research Fellow at Oxford), Haroon Zaman (Lawyer at Travers Smith LLP), Minahil Saqib (Associate Director at Barclays), Mohsin Javed (Vice President at BlackRock) and Ahmed Owais Pirzada (Country Head of the OPP). 

The OPP is the first initiative of its kind through which a concerted effort is being made to support a long-term presence for Pakistan-related activities at the University of Oxford. The OPP has three core objectives; i) to address the underrepresentation of Pakistani origin students at Oxford; ii) to raise the academic profile of Pakistan and Pakistan-related areas of interest amongst Oxford’s faculty; and iii) to promote the global connectivity of Pakistani academic institutions by promoting faculty exchange between them and Oxford. The OPP is anchored at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, and its supporters include Syed Babar Ali, Malala Fund, the World Bank and the British Council.

The OPP delegation had an engaging meeting with the President of Pakistan Mr. Arif Alvi. The President commended the efforts of the OPP in increasing focus on Pakistan-related activities at Oxford University and described the OPP as a valuable investment in the most talented Pakistani students. The President also discussed developmental challenges facing Pakistan and how Pakistan can leverage the expertise of Oxford University in tackling the devastating impact that climate change is having on its people and its agricultural economy. 

The OPP team met with a joint delegation from the Higher Education Commission (“HEC”) and the Ministry for Education and Professional Training. Minister Mr. Rana Tanveer Hussain, Chairman of the HEC Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed and Secretary of the Ministry Mr. Aamir Ashraf Khawaja agreed to create a dedicated window for joint activities with the University of Oxford. Under this arrangement, funding secured by the OPP would be matched by the government to double the impact of the OPP in its delivery of scholarships and research grants to students.

The OPP team also met with the Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, to discuss joint scholarship opportunities for Pakistani students at Oxford. Mr. Ahsan Iqbal praised the efforts of the OPP team in highlighting the importance of Pakistan at Oxford and reiterated his commitment to further broaden the scope and cooperation of the government with the OPP. The Minister highlighted that the OPP could help talented Pakistani students to “crack the code” for securing admission at the world’s best universities, such as Oxford University. He also directed the members of the Planning Commission, three of whom are former Oxford researchers, to partner with the OPP and explore possibilities for a joint scholarship scheme as well as wide-ranging collaboration on research project

The delegation also met the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Hina Rabbani Khar, who assured the OPP team of continued support, especially through the High Commission for Pakistan to the UK, which is sponsoring the Liaquat Ali Khan Studentship for Oxford students as part of the OPP

The OPP and the delegation also visited the Supreme Court of Pakistan, where it held meetings with the Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr. Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Babar Sattar. The delegation discussed issues ranging from the jurisprudence of climate change, loss and damage agreements after environmental disasters and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in Pakistan. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah stressed his desire for the Supreme Court to work with the OPP in establishing dedicated exchange programmes for the legal fraternity as part of an institutionalised set of initiatives with the University of Oxford.

The Oxford delegation was also hosted by the British High Commissioner, Dr. Christian Turner, at his residence in Islamabad. Dr. Turner opined that scholarships in UK universities have played an important role in the development of UK-Pakistan relations, and the OPP can further strengthen these relations by connecting UK-based scholars and diaspora with Pakistan’s academic community. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the British Council in Pakistan, who agreed to partner with the OPP in their ongoing knowledge exchange and access programmes for the most deserving and talented students. 

The delegation also paid a visit to the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) where it received a detailed briefing by its Chairman Tariq Malik about the various initiatives in Digital ID and development. The Oxford delegation appreciated the innovative digital applications developed by NADRA and discussed possible collaboration to access Oxford’s knowledge resources on data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The delegation also thanked NADRA Chairman for providing logistical support during the delegation’s visit to Pakistan

Subsequently, the Oxford team was briefed at the World Bank on the launch of a joint Work Experience Programme that will bring four Oxford University students to Pakistan every year who will be joined up with four Pakistani students to work at the World Bank Office in Pakistan. Deputy Country Director for Pakistan at the World Bank, Mr. Gailius Draugelis, appreciated the collaboration between the OPP and the World Bank, which brings together Oxford students and Pakistani students from public sector universities to gain joint work experience at the World Bank as part of an eight-week structured programme.

Additionally, the delegation met with Ms. Rahat Kaunain Hassan, Chairperson of the Competition Commission of Pakistan. The delegation discussed the possibility of specialized scholarship and training programmes focusing on competition law to be developed in partnership with OPP

To complete the delegation’s visit to Islamabad, an OPP dinner, hosted by Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik, Mr. Ahmed Owais Pirzada and Dr. Tariq Zaman was held at the Islamabad Serena Hotel. The dinner was attended by educationists, professionals and members of wider civil society. On their way to Lahore, the Oxford delegation stopped at Bhera where they attended a cultural event held in their honour on the banks of the River Jhelum. This included bull racing, tent pegging and sufi music.

In Lahore, the Oxford delegation met with former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Zaman Park and briefed him about various initiatives under the OPP umbrella to generate opportunities for Pakistani youth. The former Prime Minister appreciated the initiative, as well as offering his advice and support on fundraising from private donors

The following day, a high-profile panel discussion was held at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. Arranged in partnership between the LUMS School of Education and the OPP, the panel discussion revolved around the topic of “Building higher education institutions for the 21st Century” and the panel included Syed Babar Ali, Nobel Laureate Ms. Malala Yousafzai, Professor Stephen Blyth, Dr. Nick Brown and Professor Faisal Bari. Malala Yousafzai, who travelled to Pakistan to attend the OPP events, highlighted the importance of enhancing access to education in Pakistan, particularly for female students, as well as the need for female role models to inspire the next generation of girls in professional careers

Later, the Oxford delegation was given a tour of the Walled City in Lahore, organized by Mr. Kamran Lashari, Chairman of the Walled City Authority and Mr. Osman Waheed, CEO of Ferozsons Laboratories

The visit of the Oxford delegation ended with a high-profile dinner at the residence of Mr and Mrs. Sheharyar Ali, CEO of the Treet Group of Companies. The dinner was attended by Ms. Malala Yousafzai and more than 300 guests, including educationists, diplomats, business professionals and prominent luminaries of Lahore. On this occasion, the Principal of LMH Professor Stephen Blyth announced the establishment of a new scholarship for talented Pakistani students every year. Similarly, Dr Nick Brown, the Principal of Linacre College, announced that the Tanner Lecture on Human Values will be brought to Pakistan next year. Established in 1978, the Tanner Lecture is one of the most prestigious lectures in the world, held annually at the world’s premier universities including Harvard, Yale, Berkeley, Cambridge, and Oxford.

The Oxford University delegation was hugely impressed with their Pakistan visit and expressed their strong resolve to address Pakistan’s underrepresentation in Oxford, one of the world’s premier seats of learning. They highlighted that, given its immense importance and potential, Pakistan deserves a seat on the academic high table in western universities. The evening concluded with a spell-binding musical performance by Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, who received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Oxford last year.