Seventy high-achieving students representing 29 educational boards across Pakistan travelled to Türkiye under the Prime Minister’s Initiative for High Achievers, participating in a focused programme to deepen academic and cultural ties. The Türkiye visit reflects Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s aim to reward merit and broaden educational collaboration between the two countries.
During the Türkiye visit the delegation paid their respects at Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and received a detailed briefing at the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) on Türkiye’s higher education system and available scholarship programmes. Students were briefed on pathways to study and research collaboration that may benefit Pakistani scholars.
The group attended an interactive session at Middle East Technical University (METU), where academic and research opportunities, campus life and potential partnerships were discussed. A visit to the Presidential National Library offered firsthand experience of modern facilities and digital learning resources that support advanced study and scholarship.
Beyond academic sites, the students engaged directly with Turkish peers at Ankara Atatürk Secondary School, sharing a meal and cultural exchange, and toured Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) to learn about aerospace developments. Time was also allocated for reflection at the Hacı Bayram Mosque followed by cultural exploration and community interaction in the city.
Organisers say the Türkiye visit is part of a continuing series of exchanges designed to strengthen the longstanding friendship and people-to-people links between Pakistan and Türkiye, creating opportunities for future collaboration and mutual understanding among youth of both nations.
