LAHORE, July 10: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provincial mission director Ted Gehr awarded on Tuesday 147 scholarships to exceptional students enrolled in a recently established two-year Associate Degree in Education (ADE) and four-year Bachelor’s Degree in Education (BEd) programme at various universities across Punjab.

The scholarships are part of USAID’s larger $75 million five-year Teacher Education Project launched at the Institute of Education and Research (IER), Punjab University.

“The project aims to create a cadre of new and better-trained teachers who will improve the quality of basic education throughout the region. Better quality education means a brighter future for the children of Punjab,” Mr Gehr said at a ceremony held at the PU.

He remarked: “Pakistan and the US have enjoyed a long and productive cooperation that spans over more than 60 years. This scholarship programme is yet another expression of the US government’s long-term commitment to help build a stronger, more prosperous Pakistan.”

He said as many as 1,900 students across Pakistan would be awarded scholarships through the project. The scholarship programme is designed to promote the new ADE and B-Ed degrees recently introduced by the Higher Education Commission with USAID support.

Speaking on the occasion, IER head Dr Mumtaz Akhtar lauded US efforts for improving the overall quality of basic education in Pakistan through development and implementation of an innovative curriculum for the new teachers’ education degree programme.

He said the project worked closely with the HEC, provincial and regional education departments and teacher training institutions across the country to advance the goal of improved education in Pakistan.

LECTURE: Spanish scholar Sheikh Umer Ibrahim Wadalo will deliver a special lecture on “Effects of usury on economy and the economic situation of Muslim countries adopting interest system” on Wednesday at 6:30pm at the Centre for Undergraduate Studies Al-Raazi Hall.

PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran, editors, columnists, senior journalists and economists will participate in the event being organised by the Punjab University Academic Staff Association.