Possibilities of cooperation and collaboration between the two institutions discussed
Karachi, July 25, 2016: Habib University hosted Mr. Richard Hawkes, Chief Executive of the British Asian Trust, along with Ms. Anjana Raza, Head of Education at the trust, on July 25, 2016.
The British Asian Trust was founded in 2007 by HRH The Prince of Wales, who wanted to address the widespread poverty and hardship in South Asia by connecting the entrepreneurial spirit of the British Asian diaspora to innovative social interventions in the region.
The guests were taken on a tour through Habib University’s award-winning campus, during which they met several members of the university’s management. Both Mr. Hawkes and Ms. Raza were impressed by the different campus spaces they visited, and observed that they were easily comparable to international institutions. They welcomed the addition of HU to the education landscape in Pakistan.
The tour was preceded by a detailed presentation delivered by Habib University President Mr. Wasif Rizvi and other members of senior management. During the presentation, Mr. Rizvi explained the need for and implementation of the unique model of liberal arts and sciences education adopted by the university. He also presented the University’s vision for the future of education in Pakistan.
Speaking of Habib University’s needs-blind admissions process for students, which is unprecedented in Pakistan, Mr. Rizvi explained how the University’s investments in creating a diverse student body and offering wide-ranging learning experience enables its students to become robustly engaged citizens who can impact their wider community through creative and innovative methods of learning and action.
Mr. Hawkes and Ms. Anjana spoke positively of potential future collaborations between Habib University and the British Asian Trust, including the creation of a link with Pakistani diaspora networks in the UK. Drawing on their own experiences in South Asia, the guests talked about how a collaboration between the two institutions could add considerable value to the field of education in Pakistan and open up new possibilities for the country’s future.
