On Thursday May 4, twenty high school guidance councilors from Pakistan visited Western New England University for a day-long tour. Their visit was part of a U.S. State Department program that promotes U.S. colleges and universities in other countries called EducationUSA. The counselors were from public and private high schools in major cities including Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, and schools in less populated rural areas.
“These high school guidance counselors play a major roll in helping their students find the best fit and make the right choice of where they will study overseas,” explained Umair Khan, Pakistan EducationUSA Coordinator for the U.S. State Department. “These on-site tours help the counselors learn about support systems available, see the University’s facilities, and understand how welcoming U.S. universities are to international students.”
EducationUSA is a U.S. Department of State network of over 400 international education advising centers in more than 170 countries, including Pakistan. The network promotes U.S. higher education to students around the world by offering current and comprehensive information about opportunities to study in the United States. EducationUSA also provides services to the U.S. higher education community to help institutional leaders meet their recruitment and campus internationalization goals.
“This visit to your university allows me to share my personal impressions, and judgments with my students, about the programs and facilities of your university. It is very helpful to interview some of your faculty and learn things I would not learn from a brochure,” explained Counselor Naheed Malik, from Sargodian Spirit Public School, Tando Alla Yar, Pakistan. “Our goal is to have a successful match for the students and their parents, when they make an investment to study abroad. My students are the future of our world. What could be more important.”
