US exchange programme alumni organisation celebrates 10th anniversary

Islamabad: More than 700 alumni of the US government-sponsored programmes gathered here to recognise the contributions of Pakistan-US Alumni Network (PUAN) members to their communities and mark the 10-year anniversary of PUAN.

Politicians, scholars, journalists, business leaders, and students – all alumni of the US government programmes – joined together to celebrate the group’s anniversary, share their experiences, and renew their commitment to strengthening ties between the US and Pakistan.

Chargé d’Affaires John Hoover reflected on the significance of the event and said the most important thing in the Pakistani-American relationship is our people. “The Alumni such as yourselves will be the leaders of Pakistan’s future to help build a more secure and prosperous country," he said.

PUAN Islamabad/ Rawalpindi chapter president Syed Ali Hameed encouraged participants to volunteer for the network’s philanthropic activities and to spread the knowledge they gained in the US throughout Pakistan.

He said over the last year, the capital’s PUAN chapter organised dozens of community service activities, with its members taking active roles in the fields of education, leadership development, counter-narcotics, and women’s empowerment

Syed Ali said the US government annually invests more than Rs4.8 billion in exchange programmes for Pakistani citizens to study in its country. "Over 1,000 Pakistanis participate each year in high school, undergraduate, graduate, and professional US-sponsored exchanges."

He said the PUAN had over 25,000 members and that since the alumni network began in 2008, the US had provided more than 18,000 college scholarships for Pakistani students.