Tahira Khatoon Educational Program and the Nagy Loan Program for Physicians’, have been launched to help talented Pakistani students and professionals to access quality education and professional training in the United States.

Ambassador Masood Khan witnessed launch of two landmark programs.

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.

In his remarks, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Masood Khan termed Pakistani American physicians as bridge builders” between Pakistan and 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 Chairman US SHAPE Dr. Rao Kamran for launching this initiative and paid tribute to the distinguished donors for generous contribution to this noble cause. He said that 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.

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.

Chairman of US SHAPE Rao Kamran 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. He said over 30 physicians have successfully completed residency and fellowship training, under this program.

Prominent Pakistani American entrepreneur Syed Javaid Anwar shared his personal journey, emphasizing the transformative power of support and opportunity.

Representing the State Department, Nathaniel Lynn acknowledged the importance of bilateral educational exchange. He noted that there was 17% rise in Pakistani students studying in the US from the previous year reflecting growing educational ties.