BRUSSELS, Oct 15 (APP): The Embassy of Pakistan in Brussels on Wednesday hosted a Students and Professionals Networking Conference bringing together representatives from the European Commission, Belgian institutions, and members of the Pakistani student and professional diaspora across Belgium.
The event aimed to celebrate the achievements of Pakistani professionals and to explore avenues for closer cooperation in science, education, and innovation through science diplomacy and diaspora engagement.
The programme featured remarks from institutional partners including Dr. Lorna Schrefler, Team Leader for International Cooperation at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD); Johanna Månsson-Delerce, Policy Officer at the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC); Sabine Capart, Counsellor at the Belgian Federal Public Service for Foreign Affairs; and Renilde Knevels, Policy Advisor for Internationalization at the Flemish Higher Education Council.
At the event, Pakistani professionals from leading Belgian universities and enterprises shared their experiences and contributions with the speakers, including Dr. Ali Sherazi (Sanofi/KU Leuven), Professor Dr. Ahmed Zaib Khan (ULB), Dr. Madiha Nazir (Caldris Bio), Dr. Muhammad Naeem (KU Leuven), and Hira Mehmood (BOSAQ).
In his keynote address, Ambassador Rahim Hayat Qureshi welcomed the participants and thanked the European and Belgian representatives for their continued engagement with Pakistan in the fields of education, research, and innovation.
The ambassador commended the contributions of the Pakistani diaspora across domains.
The event concluded with a question-and-answer session and a networking reception, providing participants an opportunity to interact and explore collaborative ideas.