A dinner hosted by the Pakistan High Commission in London was held on Monday in honour of the Pakistani businesspeople who had travelled to the UK in partnership with The British Council Pakistan to raise awareness of investment and employment opportunities that Pakistan has to offer.
Addressing the audience, Nadia Kamran, Head of Education UK Pakistan, shared her views at the PHC dinner. She said that "one of the key areas of focus for the British Council is to create opportunities for youth in Pakistan. We harness the power of education, arts and culture to build mutually beneficial partnerships between the British and Pakistani communities".
The British Council and the UKTI teams in Pakistan have a joint aim to strengthen academic and trade relationships between UK and Pakistan. They have launched a project called the "Corporate Initiative "which aims at bridging the gap between UK universities, Pakistani students and potential employers in Pakistan. This initiative will open up new doors for graduates and employers alike. Graduates can find job opportunities that match their skill set and companies stand to benefit from the high standards and competence of UK qualified graduates. This new project will not only help in controlling the brain drain from Pakistan but also strengthen trade ties between Pakistan/UK. The networking event at the Pakistani High Commission in London was to initiating business and trade partnerships, the event was well attended by the business community in London in particular UK businesses interested to invest in Pakistan.
Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shams -ul- Hassan opened his speech by saying: "British Council has surprised me" and went on say that he was not aware of the profile of British Council's work. He praised the British Council for initiating the "Corporate Initiative" and appreciated the Pakistani business community for their efforts to tackle the issue of employability of Pakistani students studying in UK universities. At the event Pippa Greenslade, from British Council, London also reinforced the importance of such initiatives and hoped that long term sustainable relationships between UK and Pakistan will emerge from this effort.