ISLAMABAD:The US Mission in Pakistan on Friday has announced the start of the inaugural four-week Future of Women in Energy Scholars Programs of US-Pakistan Women’s Council (USPWC).
The Pakistani women university students would participate in this certificate program to learn about working in the energy sector, said a press release issued here.
This program would foster women’s participation and leadership in Pakistan’s energy sector by providing young women the opportunity to study energy issues and energy infrastructure at Texas A&M University’s campus in Qatar.
Following their two-week program in Qatar, the students would return to Pakistan for a two-week familiarization trip to engage with key Pakistani public and private-sector organizations in Islamabad and Lahore to learn about Pakistan’s energy sector.
The program was jointly sponsored by the US Mission Pakistan, US Department of State, the US Department of Energy, US Agency for International Development (USAID), Texas A&M University and a number of public-sector and private-sector energy employers interested in promoting women’s advancement in the energy sector.
The program is a product of the commitment the US government made to advance women’s educational and economic participation in Pakistan’s energy sector during the US-Pakistan Energy Dialogue in September 2021.
The Pakistani women students participating in the program were currently pursuing bachelor’s degrees in science and engineering at private and public universities throughout Pakistan and were chosen through a rigorous selection process.
On this occasion, US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome said, “Coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Pakistan, we are excited to launch the USPWC’s Future of Women in Energy Scholars Program. Through this program, the U.S. Mission in Pakistan is helping Pakistani women to pursue career opportunities in the energy sector and help them develop networks for a vibrant future.”
The USPWC Executive Director Radhika Prabhu said, “The USPWC Future of Women in Energy Scholars Program will give young women hands-on experience in the energy sector.”
The US-Pakistan Women’s Council was a public-private partnership that seeks to increase women’s economic participation in Pakistan by catalyzing commitments from the private sector, civil society, and government leaders in both countries to advance women’s economic empowerment in Pakistan.