By Hira Nafees Shah

U.S. Embassy Islamabad and the Pakistan U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN) hosted a recruitment event for the Global UGrad exchange program Nov. 19 at the National Library in Islamabad. More than 300 undergraduate students from 10 local colleges and universities attended the information session geared toward providing insight into what the Global Undergraduate Program entailed.

Alumni from past UGrad programs shared their experiences with the audience about life in the U.S. and how they felt about being cultural ambassadors of Pakistan. They spoke about how racially and religiously tolerant they had found Americans to be, among other things.

“I used to offer my Namaz in a church,” said 2011 Spring alum Ilyas Hussain who also gave out several copes of the Holy Quran to some of his friends, who were interested in learning about Islam.

The alumni also elaborated on how the program had increased their love for Pakistan, so that they were now actively engaged in giving back. For example 2012 Fall UGrad alum Hadia Paracha launched the “Mind Your Trash” initiative to educate the public on keeping their communities clean.

Addressing the gathering during the Q&A session, U.S. Embassy’s Assistant Cultural Attaché Alexis Sullivan mentioned how some of her best friends during college had been Pakistanis, outlining how UGrad grantees could help dispel negative stereotypes about their country.

The last date for the submission of UGrad applications this year is Nov. 28. United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan Assistant Program Officer Faiza Ahmed informed the audience about the various stages involved in selecting UGrad grantees. She also urged them to apply for the program and become a part of the dynamic alumni community in Pakistan.

Learn more about the Global Ugrad program at http://198.143.172.46/Programs/GlobalUGrad.cfm?Tab=Programs.