ISLAMABAD, July 4: Pakistan and the United States have agreed to increase contributions to the Fulbright scholarship programme to a total of $150 million over the next several years, the US Education Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) announced here on Monday. “This will support the Higher Education Commission’s desire to broaden opportunities for Pakistanis to study for doctorates at US universities,” said USEFP Executive Director Dr Grace Clark, announcing the expansion in the programme which is administered by the US State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Of the total funding of $150 million, Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) will provide $52.5 million over five years and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) plans to provide $97.5 million.

Dr Clark thanked Prof (Dr) Attaur Rehman, HEC chairman and federal minister, and US Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker for their efforts in expanding the Fulbright programme.

She said the expanded programme should enable up to 400 Pakistanis to study for PhDs at US universities on fully-funded Fulbright scholarships. That “represents a great opportunity for future Pakistani scientists, researchers and university professors,” she said.

Approximately $15 million will be available for Fulbright master’s scholarships and an equal amount for PhD scholarships.

In April, officials had announced that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) would provide the Fulbright programme up to $90 million over five years, largely to enable approximately 600 Pakistanis to study for master’s degrees at US universities.

“More than 1,000 Pakistanis should receive scholarships to pursue master’s and PhD degrees in America in coming years,” Dr Clark said. “This is a smart investment for Pakistan, for its future, and for continued close ties between Pakistan and the United States. It should also strengthen professional research and people-to-people ties between Pakistan and American universities.”

This year, 107 Pakistanis on Fulbright scholarships will begin studies for master’s and PhD degrees at US universities. The application period for scholarships in 2006 recently ended.