MOHAMMED RASOOLDEEN
COLOMBO-More than 700 Sri Lankan students are vying for 250 ‘Allama Iqbal Scholarships’ under the Pak-Sri Lanka Higher Education Cooperation Programme.
Around 700 Sri Lankan students sat for the open competitive examination which is being held in three major cities under the Pak-Sri Lanka Higher Education Cooperation Programme
Speaking from Kandy Jinnah Memorial Hall, examination center, Ayesha Fahad Aboobucker, first secretary at the Pakistan embassy in Colombo, told the Daily News that some 705 candidates from all sections of the communities applied for the open competitive tests which is being held in two sessions on Saturday, July 15, in line with the Covid restrictions.
On Friday, August 14, similar examination was held at the DS Senanayake College in Colombo and also it will be held for the rest of the applicants in Eravur District Secretariat Hall in the Eastern Province on Tuesday August 17.
Speaking further Aboobucker,who is in charge of the Lanka-Pakistan Higher Education Programme at the Pakistan High Commission, said that scholarship is open to all Sri Lankans from all parts of the island, therefore ,she said we chose three centers that are convenient to the candidates.
Hony. Consul for Pakistan Afzal Marikar made the arrangements for the examination in Kandy with the cooperation of officials of the Kandy Jinnah Memorial Hall , while it was held under the direct supervision of visiting officials from the Pakistan Higher Education Commission.
Spread over the course of next five years, these Scholarships provide an excellent opportunity for Sri Lankan students to visit Pakistan and pursue undergraduate in Medicine, Engineering Science, Basic and Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences.
“ The selected candidate will be entering top-ranked Pakistani universities and they will learn about Pakistani society and values, acquire leadership skills, and help educate fellow Pakistani students and community groups about their country and culture,”she said.
The Allama Iqbal Scholarship Programme is part of HEC’s internationalization initiative to encourage international students to study in Pakistan.
The Scholarship offers full tuition fee of the Programme for study in Pakistani universities, accommodation allowance, study allowance, books allowance, and one-time return air-ticket.
The scholarship aims to promote an effective exchange of knowledge and better understanding of cultures and tradition between Sri Lankan and Pakistani students.
