ISLAMABAD: Twenty-six more Sri Lankan students have arrived in Pakistan to study in Pakistani universities at BS, MS and PhD levels under Allama Iqbal Scholarships for Sri Lankan Students. The students arrived at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, and Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore.

These scholarships are part of the comprehensive educational programme entitled “Pakistan-Sri Lanka Higher Education Cooperation Programme (HEC). The Sri Lankan students will pursue their BS, MS, and PhD studies in public sector universities of Pakistan. The scholarships are being offered in all major disciplines, including Medicine, Engineering, Business Studies, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, etc.

Students were selected through a competitive selection process keeping in view their basic eligibility criteria for enrolment in Pakistani public sector universities. The incoming Sri Lankan scholars were given a warm welcome at Lahore regional center of Higher Education Commission (HEC). They were briefed about the scholarship project, the core functions of HEC, and the academic structure of Pakistan.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka jointly work in multiple developmental arenas, including the higher education sector. It includes, but is not limited to, 1000 scholarships for Sri Lankan nationals (out of which 300 are currently studying in Pakistan), imparting executive training for senior Sri Lankan Government officials, and organization of the Pakistan Higher Education Expo annually in Sri Lanka. There is a faculty exchange component between the two countries’ universities to nurture joint research in different contemporary research areas.