University Partnerships Grants Program 2020-23

University Partnerships Grants Program 2020-2023 Expanding American Studies in Pakistan

Islamabad, The Gulf Observer: Funded by the U.S. Mission in Pakistan and administered by the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan, University Partnerships Grants Program 2020-2023 (UPGP) is envisaged to foster bilateral relationships through academic and professional partnerships between Pakistani and American universities.

The aim was to enhance peer-to-peer relationships between U.S. and Pakistani universities in the Humanities and the Social Sciences

This program follows the success of the original University Partnerships Program (2012-2015) in which American universities in 20 partnerships with Pakistani universities received grants to establish three-year bilateral relationships.

The aim was to enhance peer-to-peer relationships between U.S. and Pakistani universities in the Humanities and the Social Sciences.

QAU-BSU 2012-2015 Partnership was one of these collaborations that focused on strengthening the American Studies program at Area Study Centre for Africa, North and South America, Quaid-i-Azam University through faculty and student exchange, curriculum development, and research training.

In late 2021 Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) and Ball State University (BSU) received a follow-up grant to extend the best practices of the previous program to other universities in Pakistan. In this partnership, the two universities collaborated with Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University, Peshawar; Women University Swabi, and University of Swat to strengthen their humanities and social sciences programs.

In 2022, QAU and BSU received a second grant to further expand the program as part of which they started collaborated with 7 more universities from the Federal Capital, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan: International Islamic University, Islamabad; University of Swabi; FATA University; Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan; BUITEMS; University of Turbat, and National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad. Together in both programs, QAU and BSU have organized about 52 virtual lectures and seminars; 40 virtual workshops; and over 300 hours of virtual mentoring in research and pedagogy.

As part of the second grant, a five-day in-person training event was organized in Islamabad in which all 7 universities participated. Three of the BSU faculty travelled to Pakistan to participate in the program alongside QAU resource persons while the rest participated virtually.

This workshop was followed by virtual mentoring to ensure that the participants used the knowledge and skills gained during the training to produce research papers and syllabi in collaboration with their mentors. This work was then showcased at a virtual Symposium that took place in November 2022.

Among the achievements of both grants are two special issues of Pakistan Journal of American Studies that will publish research papers coauthored by QAU, BSU, and partner universities’ faculty; development of new syllabi including An Introduction to American Studies syllabus by partner universities; and the establishment of Pakistan Association for American Studies.

The concluding ceremony of both the program was held in Islamabad which was attended by Catherine Fischer, Deputy Cultural Attaché, US Embassy Islamabad, Shahram Niazi, Program Officer, UPGP, United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan, Prof. Dr. Razia Sultana, Professor, Quaid-i-Azam University & Former Vice Chancellor, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University, Peshawar, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan, Vice Chancellor, FATA University, Prof. Dr. Nasir Jamal Khattak, Vice Chancellor, University of Swabi, and team members from Ball State University, Quaid-i-Azam University, and ten partner universities. UPGP Project Director from Quaid-i-Azam University, Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa, emphasized the contribution that such academic collaborations make to the Knowledge Economy in a globalized world. She thanked the U.S. Mission in Pakistan and the United Stated Educational Foundation for their commitment to the promotion of education in Pakistan.

Project Co-Director from Ball State University, Prof. Dr. Lawrence Gerstein, appreciated the commitment of the project team and thanked the participants for their motivation, participation, and engagement. UPGP Program Officer (USEFP), Shahram Niazi, congratulated Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa and Prof. Dr. Lawrence Gerstein for the successful implementation of both the grants. Catherine Fischer appreciated the work that the project team has accomplished and emphasized the need for continuing such programs into the future.