ISLAMABAD: United States Ambassador to Pakistan, Richard Olson on Monday said the past Soviet mistake of leaving Afghanistan without rehabilitating the local population should not be repeated in future.
He was addressing at a launching ceremony of The Talloires Network at National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and a seminar on Pak-US Higher Education Initiative on Civic Engagement sponsored by Innovations in Civic Participation and US State Department.
He said the defunct Soviet Union had withdrawn from Afghanistan in early eighties without completing the rehabilitation of local population which was a mistake and should be avoided.
The ambassador said "Pakistan has suffered a major challenge of Afghan refugees since long which ultimately has burdened its socio-economic fabric and created instability in the region" he said.
The US government acknowledges the sacrifices of Pakistan for peace of the region and would support stability in Pakistan and rehabilitation of Afghan people.
About the project of linking of Pak-US top universities, the ambassador said "Today we celebrate the culmination of a project linking top Pakistani universities with top US universities for the purpose of strengthening civic engagement in higher education".
"Beyond its educational benefits, inculcating the value of service in the next generation has the power to change lives and change nations," he observed.
Minister for Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal said the aspect of community building and rehabilitation was neglected during the process of withdrawal of Russian forces from Afghanistan which brought huge devastation to the region.
At that time, he said the weaponised people should have been given proper training and counseling, bringing them into healthy sphere of life.
Now the aspect of community building and rehabilitation of the people must be given importance in wake of withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in 2014, he said.
He said that peace in Afghanistan was need of hours for stability in the whole region and both the countries of Pakistan and United States must continue joint efforts to establish peace in the region.
Ahsan Iqbal stressed on the importance of modern education for the development of country and he appreciated the joint efforts of Pakistan and United States for the promotion of education in Pakistan.
He said cooperation between Higher Education Commission (HEC) and USAID would open new vistas of development.
The minister lauded the initiative in which five Pakistani Universities were twinned with the US universities for collaborating to share knowledge and experiences regarding community service, civic engagement and service learning.
He reiterated the present' government commitment toward prioritizing education and youth empowerment.
Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Zahid Hamid, as a chief guest, commended the noble purpose of the initiative and appreciated roles of sponsors, ten twinned universities and that of NUST for spearheading that programme on behalf of Pakistani universities.
He reassured the vice chancellors and rectors of the universities that the government would provide maximum support to the cause of higher education in the country.
He highlighted that promotion of science and technology in the country was a priority focus of his ministry and the government.
Chairperson HEC Dr Javaid R Laghari said HEC has paid special focus over Quality Teaching and Research and as a result faculty and universities have excelled a lot.
He said "Our research has increased by 50% just in the last two years, and the universities are now publishing over 7000 papers annually. This was recognized by Scimago as the second largest increase worldwide and Pakistani universities are among the top 7 universities in Asia as ranked in QS World University Rankings 2013, which includes NUST.
The US-Pakistan Higher Education Initiative on Civic Engagement supported by a $500,000 grant from the US government and implemented by National University of Science and Technology and the Washington-D.C.-based NGO.
Innovations in Civic Participation, paired five major Pakistani universities with five US universities with strong civic engagement programs.
The project included faculty exchange, curriculum development, workshops, and a social media campaign.
Participating US universities included Tulane University, George Washington University, University of Wisconsin, University of Nebraska, and University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Participating Pakistani universities included the National University of Science and Technology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Lahore, Quaid-e-Azam University, Fatima Jinnah Women's University, and Dow University of Health Sciences in Karachi.
The network promotes a culture of civic engagement and social responsibility at institutions of higher learning.
Vice Chancellors of different universities and officials of US Embassy, Ministry of Science and Technology, HEC and Planning and Development attended the event.
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