Islamabad, August 11, 2026: Pakistan and the United States have renewed their longstanding higher education partnership through a new five-year agreement between the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP).
The renewed Fulbright-HEC partnership reaffirms the two countries’ commitment to academic excellence, human capital development, research and international educational cooperation, according to the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training.
The agreement covers Financial Year 2026-27 through Financial Year 2031-32 and includes the Fulbright Master’s and PhD Programmes, the Visiting Scholar Programme for post-doctoral scholars, the Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Programme and the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Programme.
Under the renewed arrangement, the programme has set a target of supporting 66 PhD scholars over five years, in addition to opportunities under other programme streams. The initiative will enable Pakistani scholars and academics to pursue advanced education, conduct high-quality research, strengthen professional expertise and contribute to Pakistan’s socio-economic and institutional development upon their return.
The ministry said the renewal reflected the sustained efforts and leadership of Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Ms Wajiha Qamar, who has led the ministry’s efforts to advance Pakistan-US educational cooperation, strengthen institutional linkages and expand opportunities for Pakistani students, scholars, faculty and professionals.
A key development under her leadership has been the revival and activation of the Pakistan-US Higher Education Working Group after a gap of nearly 14 years. The working group has provided an institutional platform for sustained engagement between the two countries on higher education, scholarships, academic mobility, skills development, research collaboration and other areas of mutual interest.
The renewed Fulbright-HEC partnership has been described as an important outcome of this renewed momentum in Pakistan-US educational engagement.
As part of the financial commitment, HEC will provide at least $4.54 million annually, with the total funding commitment capped at Rs6.48 billion over the five-year period. The agreed payment schedule provides for $2 million by June 30, another $2 million by January 31, and the remaining balance by April 30, subject to the timely release of government funds.
Any interest earned on HEC funds held by USEFP will be reinvested in student grants to further support the educational objectives of the partnership.
The ministry said the selection process under the renewed agreement would remain strictly merit-based, with no fixed quotas for any particular group, region or category. HEC will participate directly in the selection panels and will help identify priority fields of study aligned with Pakistan’s national development and strategic priorities.
According to the ministry, this collaborative approach will ensure that the programme remains responsive to emerging national requirements while maintaining standards of academic merit, transparency and inclusivity.
To strengthen oversight and assess programme effectiveness, a Joint Review Committee comprising representatives of the partner institutions will meet twice a year to review performance and impact. USEFP will also provide HEC with annual audited financial statements, while relevant records will remain open for review by HEC upon reasonable notice.
The renewed partnership also envisages wider cooperation beyond scholarship opportunities. HEC and USEFP will carry out joint visibility and awareness initiatives across Pakistan, using HEC’s network of higher education institutions to expand outreach and increase awareness of international academic opportunities.
The agreement also provides scope for exploring future collaboration in faculty and administrator exchanges and other academic and educational initiatives.
The new agreement builds on the original Fulbright-HEC PhD partnership signed in February 2016, under which $25.786 million was committed to support 125 Pakistani scholars during FY 2016-20. That initiative emerged from high-level engagement between Pakistan and the United States, including the October 2015 meeting between then US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, and was linked to the US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor launched in June 2015.
The renewed agreement marks another milestone in what has become a decade-long partnership between HEC and USEFP and represents the third phase of Fulbright-HEC collaboration. Over the years, the partnership has contributed to strengthening Pakistan’s academic and research capacity, developing highly qualified human capital and fostering educational and people-to-people ties between Pakistan and the United States.
The signing ceremony for the renewed agreement was rescheduled from its original date following the passing of the father of Dr Peter Moran, Executive Director of USEFP. The Government of Pakistan, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, HEC and other stakeholders associated with the programme extended condolences to Dr Moran and his family and expressed solidarity with them.
Minister of State Ms Wajiha Qamar reaffirmed that education remains one of the strongest and most enduring bridges between Pakistan and the United States. She said the revival of the Pakistan-US Higher Education Working Group and the renewal of the Fulbright-HEC partnership demonstrated the commitment of both countries to move from dialogue to tangible, long-term outcomes for students, scholars, universities and institutions.
The ministry said the Government of Pakistan remained committed to expanding access to quality higher education, strengthening research and innovation, developing a globally competitive and highly skilled workforce, and building meaningful international academic partnerships.
It added that under the leadership of Ms Wajiha Qamar, the ministry would continue to advance Pakistan-US educational cooperation and translate institutional partnerships into concrete opportunities for Pakistan’s youth and academic community.
The renewed Fulbright-HEC agreement, the ministry said, reflected these priorities and underscored the value of educational diplomacy in promoting mutual understanding, knowledge exchange, human capital development and shared progress between Pakistan and the United States.
