National

Sardar Masood Khan witnesses launch of Tahira Khatoon Educational Program & the Nagy Loan Program for Physicians

DALLAS, TEXAS, July 10 (SABAH): Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Sardar Muhammad Masood Khan on Monday witnessed launch of two landmark programs, ‘Tahira Khatoon Educational Program and the Nagy Loan Program for Physicians’, to help talented Pakistani students and professionals to access quality education and professional training in the United States. The two programs, launched under US SHAPE initiative, aim at further advancing the cause of social justice, healthcare access, advocacy, poverty alleviation, and education, as the acronym denotes.

Terming Pakistani American physicians as “bridge builders” between Pakistan and the United States, Masood Khan lauded the initiative as instrumental in providing Pakistani students with better educational opportunities and further cementing educational linkages and exchanges between Pakistan and the United States.

Masood Khan lauded the efforts of Dr. Rao Kamran, Chairman US SHAPE for launching this initiative and paid tribute to the distinguished donors for their generous contribution to this noble cause. He also thanked the U.S. government for its continued support to educational programs for Pakistani students. “The US State Department has remained a steadfast partner in our efforts to strengthen Pak-US educational linkages and connecting our students with US academic institutes,” observed the Ambassador.

Underscoring the need to expand the number of Pakistan students in the US, Masood Khan called for setting a short-term goal of doubling the figure to 16,000 across various fields.

The Ambassador especially underlined the need for creating greater opportunities for Pakistani engineers, IT professionals, managers and entrepreneurs who wanted to benefit from the rich expertise of US institutes in their respective discipline. He assured the Pakistani community of the continuous support from the Embassy and Consulates.

Rao Kamran, Chairman of US SHAPE, elaborated on the history and success of the organziation and its loan programs. Initiated in 2015 under APPNA, this interest-free loan program has been a lifeline for underprivileged physicians aspiring to achieve their USMLE dreams. Over 30 physicians have successfully completed residency and fellowship training, under this program. The US SHAPE has expanded its portfolio to include support for engineers and IT experts from Pakistan. 

Syed Javaid Anwar, the prominent Pakistani American entrepreneur, shared his personal journey, emphasizing the transformative power of support and opportunity. Reflecting on his journey from Pakistan to the US, he inspired attendees with his message of shared blessings and generosity.

Nathaniel Lynn, representing the State Department, acknowledged the importance of bikateral educational exchange. He noted that there was 17% rise in Pakistani students studying in the US from the previous year reflecting growing educational ties. He welcomed the US SHAPE initiative and assured support from the State Department for this program.