Students from Pakistan attending WCU through exchange program
The Western Carolina University community has welcomed three new international students to campus this spring semester as part of the U.S. Department of State’s Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Pakistan.
Students from Pakistan studying at WCU this semester are (from left) Soha, Usman and Minahil.
Joining the WCU community is Soha, Minahil and Usman, all studying electrical engineering. (The students’ full names are not being used in accordance with U.S. Department of State policy.)
The Global UGRAD-Pakistan program, which places participants at U.S. colleges and universities for academic study, is part of a broader Department of State effort to promote better understanding of the U.S. abroad, particularly among future world leaders. Since the program’s inception in 2010, Global UGRAD-Pakistan has provided more than 1,600 undergraduate students from underserved populations across Pakistan with the opportunity to study at a U.S. college or university.
Through semesterlong academic study, exploration of culture, participation in community service projects and interactions with Americans in their host communities and campuses, Global UGRAD-Pakistan participants have an opportunity to develop expertise in their academic fields, gain a broad and nuanced understanding of American culture and values, and go on to share that understanding of the U.S. with their communities when they return home. Over the past eight years, participants have volunteered more than 34,000 hours with community organizations.
Global UGRAD-Pakistan is a program of the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, with funding provided by the U.S. government. The program is administered by IREX, a global development and education organization. For more information about the program, visit this website.
