The University of Oxford has introduced the Oxford Pakistan Programme (OPP) – a one of a kind initiative to encourage Pakistan-related activities within the institute. This decision is not only appealing to current students but will also attract international students who are looking for options to pursue their education.
The programme is based on 3 main objectives:
- To represent Pakistani and British Pakistani students at Oxford
- To highlight the academic profile of Pakistan and related areas of interest amongst the Oxford faculty
- To establish a link between Pakistani institutes with Oxford to promote academic-related activities
The Oxford Pakistan Programme initiative has secured just under £1million in funding for the next 5-years to support various projects including a scholarship programme for Pakistani-origin Oxford graduate students. The first set of scholarships will be awarded in October 2022 to students studying at Lady Margaret Hall.
1/n Last two weeks at Oxford have been busy with 🇵🇰 related activities.@OxfordPakistan (OPP) launched its initiatives on Thursday 26th of May at @lmhoxford. Attendees included @Malala, HC🇵🇰 Senior representatives of @UniofOxford @AdeelMalikOx @HaroonZ004 @saqib_minahil @Malala pic.twitter.com/A5TegBZqfg
— Talha Jamal Pirzada (@TJPirzada) May 30, 2022
Oxford Pakistan Programme was formally launched today, 2nd June 2022, at the Lady Margaret Hall. Moreover, it is essential to mention that many famous personalities associated with Pakistan have passed out from the prestigious varsity, including ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, Benazir Bhutto, and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Liaquat Ali Khan, amongst others, and very recently, Malala Yousufzai.
Dr Talha J Pirzada, one of the OPP co-founders, shared that more than 20 Pakistani students are unable to take up graduate offers at the university due to the lack of funding every year. Whereas, only 13 undergraduate and 45 graduates are currently studying at the institute out of a population of 220mn in Pakistan, given that 60% are under 30 years old.
Furthermore, he added that this programme will also give liberty to these students to utilize the world-class facilities the university has to offer. Mr Pirzada also announced the launch of OPP’s Visiting Fellow Programmes, including one which will be in partnership with the Malala Fund, the Government of Sindh, and Durbeen (non-profit).
Our COO, Salman Madani w/ @Malala at the @OxfordPakistan event last night to support their fantastic initiative that aids the academic journey of Pakistani students at #Oxford !
A special congratulations to @TJPirzada and @saqib_minahil for a great event! pic.twitter.com/drfhog1fw0— British Pakistan Foundation (@BPF_UK) May 27, 2022
The event was attended by 200 esteemed guests including the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala, High Commissioner for Pakistan to the United Kingdom Mr Moazzam Ahmad Khan, MP Naz Shah, renowned businessman Sohaib Abbasi, and MP Yasmin Qureshi. On the other hand, administrators and senior academics were present.
Oxford Pakistan Programme (OPP) Grants Scholarships & Fellowships for Pakistanis
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