Washington DC, The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) and the All Pakistan Women Universities Consortium (APWUC), is set to organize the ‘International Conference on Breaking Barriers through Diversity and Inclusivity’. Scheduled to run from February 26 to 29, 2024, the conference aims to bolster partnerships between U.S. Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and eighteen Women Universities across Pakistan, promoting gender-inclusive approaches in various sectors.

According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Masood Khan, discussed the significance of the conference with a USAID delegation led by Zeinah Salahi, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, in Washington. The meeting underscored the conference as a pivotal step towards enhancing Pakistan-US collaboration, particularly in empowering women through educational initiatives.

The conference seeks to engage female professionals, scholars, scientists, and community advocates in cooperative efforts to address climate resilience, sustainable water management, and the integration of local knowledge into actionable strategies. Ambassador Khan highlighted the potential for greater collaboration between MSIs and Pakistani Women Universities to empower women to lead in areas such as climate change, smart-technology solutions, agricultural productivity, and entrepreneurship.

Stressing the importance of educational collaboration in strengthening Pakistan-US relations, Khan noted that the initiative would further solidify ties, enabling women to play a more significant role in the nation-building process. He thanked USAID for its ongoing support in education, women’s empowerment, and skill development, particularly in remote areas of Pakistan, and assured full support from the Embassy of Pakistan for the conference’s success and the continued collaboration between academic institutions of the two countries.