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ISLAMABAD, Dec 10 (APP):Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training, Wajiha Qamar, held talks on Wednesday with a high-level U.S. delegation to explore avenues for deeper collaboration in education, technical training, and emerging industries such as minerals and mining.
The meeting took place at the Ministry following the inauguration of the new U.S. Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) building in Islamabad. Both sides said the facility will strengthen academic advising, exchange programs and broader educational collaboration between Pakistan and the United States.
The U.S. delegation included Sherry Keneson-Hall, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and Shelly Seaver, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, along with senior officials from the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.
Discussions covered academic cooperation, teacher development, enhanced outreach through USEFP and deeper collaboration in technical and vocational education (TVET). Qamar said Pakistan remains committed to creating meaningful opportunities for youth to access global learning and strengthening people-to-people ties between the two countries.
Qamar emphasized the importance of cooperation in the minerals and mining sector, calling it a key area for Pakistan’s long-term economic development. She said Pakistan welcomes U.S. support in adopting modern mining technologies, improving geological mapping, strengthening mineral processing capabilities and enhancing workforce training.
She noted that collaboration in this sector would support Pakistan’s broader skills agenda by preparing workers for careers in geology, mineral extraction, processing and advanced industrial technologies. Qamar added that such partnerships would help Pakistan increase value addition, improve safety practices and promote sustainable mining standards.
The meeting also discussed expanding partnerships between Pakistani TVET institutions and U.S. community colleges to modernize technical training, develop competency-based curricula and introduce internationally recognized certification programs.
“Pakistan values its partnership with the United States and remains committed to expanding cooperation in education, technical training and emerging economic sectors,” Qamar said. “Our discussions today reaffirmed our shared commitment to advancing skills development and exploring new opportunities—including in minerals and mining—that support Pakistan’s long-term growth.”
Both sides agreed to maintain regular engagement and move forward with follow-up actions to deepen collaboration in education, workforce development and sectoral innovation.