University Partnerships Grants Program (UPGP) 2020-2023
Funded by the U.S. Mission in Pakistan and administered by the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan, University Partnerships Grants Program 2020-2023 (UPGP) is envisaged to foster bilateral relationships through academic and professional partnerships between Pakistani and American universities. This program follows the success of the original University Partnerships Program (2012-2015) in which American universities in 20 partnerships with Pakistani universities received grants to establish three-year bilateral relationships. The aim was to enhance peer-to-peer relationships between U.S. and Pakistani universities in the Humanities and the Social Sciences.
QAU-BSU 2012-2015 Partnership was one of these collaborations that focused on strengthening the American Studies program at Area Study Centre for Africa, North and South America, Quaid-i-Azam University through faculty and student exchange, curriculum development, and research training. In late 2021 Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) and Ball State University (BSU) received a follow-up grant to extend the best practices of the previous program to other universities in Pakistan. In this partnership, the two universities collaborated with Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University, Peshawar; Women University Swabi, and University of Swat to strengthen their humanities and social sciences programs. In 2022, QAU and BSU received a second grant to further expand the program as part of which they started collaborating with 7 more universities from the Federal Capital, Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan: International Islamic University, Islamabad; University of Swabi; FATA University; Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan; BUITEMS; University of Turbat, and National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad.
As part of the second grant, a five-day in person training workshop titled “Expanding
American Studies in Pakistan” was organized in Islamabad from September 19-23, 2022, by the Area Study Centre for Africa, North and South America, Quaid-i-Azam University in collaboration with Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana. The workshop focused on training early career researchers and faculty from these universities in curriculum, pedagogy, and research, in the disciplines of History, International Relations, Literature, Art and Graphic Design, Religious Studies, Library Science, Curriculum and Syllabi Development, and
Research Methodology from a U.S. Studies perspective. A total of 38 faculty members from 7 universities travelled from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to participate in the fiveday training that included 30 lectures, seminars, panel discussions, and interactive workshops delivered by distinguished academics from Quaid-i-Azam University, Ball State University, and other universities in Pakistan. Three of the Ball State University team members travelled to Pakistan to take part in the training workshop alongside the QAU faculty while the rest participated in the activities virtually.
The concluding ceremony of the five-day training workshop took place on September 23, 2022, from 5:00 to 6:00 PM at Roomy Signature Hotel F-6. The ceremony was graced by the presence of dignitaries that included Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, Chairman, Higher Education Commission, Pakistan (HEC); Rita Akhtar, Executive Director, United States Educational
Foundation, Pakistan (USEFP); Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed; and Vice Chancellor, Quaid-i-Azam University, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali (T.I. & S.I.) besides other members of the USEFP, Ball State University, Quaid-i-Azam University, and seven partner universities. The HEC Chairman, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad, stressed the critical need for such trainings in the Humanities and Social Sciences in order to produce good human beings alongside good academics and professionals. Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed noted that the twenty-first century is a battle of ideas and a battle of narratives, and a good education equips us with the tools to fight that battle. Rita Akhtar, Executive Director USEFP, congratulated QAU and BSU for jointly implementing the two grants successfully. UPGP Project Director from Quaid-i-Azam University, Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa, emphasized the contribution that such academic collaborations make to the Knowledge Economy in a globalized world. Project CoDirector from Ball State University, Prof. Dr. Lawrence Gerstein, appreciated the commitment of the project team and thanked the participants for their motivation, their participation, and their engagement. UPGP Program Officer (USEFP), Shahram Niazi, congratulated Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa and Prof. Dr. Lawrence Gerstein for the successful implementation of the project. Finally, Vice Chancellor Quaid-i-Azam University, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali (T.I. & S.I.) closed the session with a vote of thanks to all. He congratulated the Area Study Centre team for the successful organization of the five-day training and thanked the U.S. Mission in Pakistan and the United Stated Educational Foundation in Pakistan for their commitment to the promotion of education in Pakistan.
