The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the United States of America Mission to Pakistan and Pakistan’s celebrated the International Women Day 2023 by organizing a ceremony on March 7, 2023 at HEC Head Office, Islamabad. The aim of the event was to celebrate the progress of the women towards gender equality and to uplift women’s accomplishments and to highlight the success of bright and ambitious female scholarship awardees of USAID Merit and Needs Based Scholarship Program (MNBSP).

Two USAID scholarship awardees from the COMSATS University Islamabad, Wah Campus accompanied by the In-charge Student Financial Aid Office (SFAO) attended the ceremony. Ms. Laraib Fatima Talib student of MS (CS) was one of the two special cases which were presented before the US Ambassador, USAID and HEC officials. She is exceptionally intelligent, that is why she is treated as a special case and a success story of the USAID scholarship program.

The USAID Merit and Needs Based Scholarship Program motivates the young women to access higher education from a socio economic perspective and in the view of achieving the academic and professional milestones. The event provided an opportunity to the scholarship recipients to meet with the USAID, HEC representatives, civil society members and also the media representatives.

The event was graced by the Federal Minister for Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, Chairman HEC, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, US Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik, Executive Director, Higher Education Commission, Dr. Shaista Sohail, Mission Director, and Education Director USAID, and Vice Chancellors and recipient of MNBSP scholarships and alumni from various universities.