By Rimsha Ali Shah

The stage was all set for the sixth annual strategic meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN).  Placeholders marked the seating arrangements for leadership from across the twelve chapters, who, over the course of the eight-hour meeting, would share the highlights from 2015 and set the roadmap for 2016.

For the current cohort of 50 elected leaders, this was their last planning meeting as office bearers in their respective chapters and marked the end of their four-year tenure.  Thus, their resolve to make 2016 a year to remember for PUAN was at the forefront of their minds; or as the KP-FATA Chapter put it, “In 2016 PUAN KP-FATA Chapter will talk to aliens!”

Country Cultural Attache, Daniel Mattern and Executive Director, United States Education Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP), Rita Bruun Akhtar, welcomed the young leaders and commended the outstanding achievements of the alumni in all areas, professional and personal.  Chapter presentations followed, and served as a testament to the creative flair and innovation of the 15,000 alumni that make up the network.

PUAN Lahore Chapter Youth Group Director, Aanum Shahzad noted, “It’s so great to learn about what everyone else is doing in their chapters and to know that around the country, alumni are delivering on their promise of giving back to their communities.”

Building the Core Enablers

While idea generation and planning for 2016 were dominant themes throughout the NEC, leadership capacity was also enhanced through subject-specific presentations.  In order to enable alumni to successfully conduct their activities across the country, Assistant Cultural Attaché, Erin Molnar Mains, shared pertinent security precautions in the current security dynamics.  Finance Officer, Sarfaraz Khan explained best practices for effective financial and narrative reporting for chapter leadership.  Marcy A Carrel, from the Information Resource Centre at the U.S. Embassy Pakistan, explained how the network can effectively use the Lincoln Corners set-up across universities in Pakistan for their chapter activities and small grant activities.

PUAN  Islamabad Chapter Youth Group Director, Daniyal Hassan said, “It was my first time at the NEC and I think that it is the only platform where the entire leadership of PUAN brainstorms on different matters. I learned a lot from the presentations today.”

At the conclusion of the event, U.S. Ambassador David Hale addressed PUAN leadership from across the twelve chapters and extended his appreciation for the achievements of the network in upholding the promise of contributing to the development of their local communities and building upon their experiences from their exchange program.

To check out the pictures from the event, click here.