ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: The German Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) in collaboration with its implementation partner National Dialogue Forum (NDF) launched their new flagship project Hanns Seidel Scholarship Program (HSSP): Support for Afghan Refugees in Pakistan at an inauguration event in Islamabad on Thursday, 16 December 2021. Through this scholarship program, extensive support will be provided to registered Afghan refugees studying at Pakistani universities. Along with financial and conceptual support, the scholarship holders will also be given the opportunity to equip themselves with professional skills through on-the-job trainings.
H.E. Mr. Bernhard Schlagheck, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Pakistan, appreciated the timely initiative by HSF and NDF:
Afghanistan needs talented, educated and well-trained youth to rebuild their country. I hope that the scholarship holders from this program play their part in achieving regional stability.
H.E. Mr. Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Afghanistan, highlighted the significance of bilateral and regional cooperation:
We have to focus on making right investments in Afghanistan so that the Afghan people will have an incentive to stay in the country. Pakistan has played a positive role in abating the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
H.E. Ms. Shandana Gulzar Khan, Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and Member of Pakistan-Afghanistan Friendship Group of the National Assembly of Pakistan also attended the inauguration and lauded the efforts of both organizations in this regard.
A press briefing for multiple media representatives preceded the inauguration event. Dr. Steffen Kudella, Resident Representative of HSF Pakistan, and Mr. Sheharyar Khan, Executive Director of NDF, along with their teams, briefed the media about the HSSP project in detail and answered their questions.
The event was attended by a prestigious set of more than 100 people from politics, embassies, academia, think tanks and international and national organizations. The first 21 selected HSSP scholarship holders were also present and were awarded the HSSP laptops for their academic studies.
HSSP includes around 30 full financial grants positions per year for all Afghan students with excellent academic record, volunteer experience and democratic and regional interest. It covers the full duration of their undergraduate or graduate degrees at HEC recognized universities all over Pakistan. The scholarships also include conceptual support on a range of relevant topics such as social cohesion, human rights, political systems, digital and soft skills and research knowledge.
You may find event photos and more details at twitter.com/HSF_Pakistan. For more information on NDF please visit ndf.org.pk, and on HSF Pakistan pakistan.hss.de.