A delegation from IE University in Spain has visited Pakistan's Higher Education Commission (HEC) in Islamabad to explore academic collaboration and wider study opportunities for Pakistani students.

The delegation met HEC Chairman Professor Dr Niaz Ahmad Akhtar on 26 October. Talks focused on building institutional partnerships and creating clearer routes for talented Pakistani students to enrol in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Spain, across a range of subjects.

Focus on leading Pakistani universities

IE University representative Andrea Rodriguez Velez set out the university's programmes, its global outlook and its internationalisation plans. The discussion centred on student mobility: how Pakistani applicants could access an internationally recognised institution, and how both sides could share good practice in teaching and academic exchange.

The HEC chairman welcomed the university's interest and highlighted the commission's international scholarship programmes, which already help talented students study abroad. He encouraged the Spanish delegation to engage directly with leading Pakistani institutions, including the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) and the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST-NUCES), to identify promising candidates and shape cooperation.

No formal agreement, scholarship quota or fee arrangement was announced from the meeting. The value for now is in the opening of talks: a new European destination added to Pakistan's higher-education partnerships, and a possible pipeline for students who might otherwise look only to the UK, North America or the Gulf. If the discussions progress, the next step will be detailed proposals with universities, on admissions, recognition of qualifications and exchange opportunities for staff as well as students.

Source: Commerce News Pakistan