Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan’s Acting President Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani underscored the importance of education diplomacy as a lasting and effective tool of international engagement.
Addressing a reception held in honor of a visiting delegation of the University of London and its alumni on Tuesday, Gilani said the delegation’s presence symbolized a bridge of knowledge, aspiration, and cooperation between Pakistan and the United Kingdom.
He paid tribute to the University of London’s global standing and its nearly two centuries-long contribution to intellectual and human development across diverse disciplines.
The acting president noted that many distinguished Pakistanis were alumni of the University of London and had gone on to excel in public service, law, medicine, academia, business and diplomacy.
This shared academic heritage, he said, formed a strong foundation for bilateral educational cooperation and offered significant potential for expanding collaboration.
He highlighted the role of the university’s international programs and recognized teaching centers in enabling thousands of Pakistani students to access world-class education without leaving the country.
This, he said, had helped democratize learning and allowed young Pakistanis to compete globally while remaining rooted at home.
Despite the commitment of educators and policymakers, he said the sector continued to face deep structural challenges, including a high number of out-of-school children, gender disparities and regional inequalities that disproportionately affected girls and rural communities.
He recalled that the government had declared a national education emergency in 2024 to improve access and learning outcomes through coordinated federal and provincial efforts.
Referring to the National Education Policy Development Framework 2024, Gilani described it as a comprehensive roadmap for reform.
He cited initiatives such as the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif programme, which provides conditional support to encourage school participation, and pointed to climate-related disasters, including the 2022 floods, which damaged educational infrastructure and underscored the need for resilient systems.
Education, he said, had remained a central national priority throughout his public life, including his tenures as prime minister and speaker of the National Assembly.
The establishment of institutions such as the University of Swat reflected the belief that education was the most effective response to conflict, extremism and underdevelopment.
Gilani also highlighted the growing importance of education beyond national borders in an era shaped by rapid technological change, climate challenges and artificial intelligence.
He noted Pakistan’s AI Policy 2025 and Digital Sector Roadmap 2025–2035, adding that IT exports had reached $3.8 billion and were growing at around 20 per cent annually.
Calling for deeper collaboration with institutions like the University of London, he stressed that technology alone was insufficient without strong pedagogy and institutional capacity.
