University of Utah faculty and staff are making an impact on Pakistan’s educational ecosystem through the USAID’s Higher Education System Strengthening Activity (HESSA). Now in its third year, the project’s trainings, exchanges, and networking are proving to be successful.
“It’s so rewarding to witness the impact of our collective efforts. We have a great team of people, including our participating faculty from the U, our colleagues at the University of Alabama and the Institute for International Education, and our dedicated partner institutions in Pakistan. Everyone is dedicated to really raising the bar for higher ed in Pakistan, and how those improvements can increase graduate preparedness. We are starting to see that become reality,” said Cheri Daily, Project Manager for HESSA and Executive Director for Global Programs and Marketing & Communications at the U.
HESSA aims to bridge the gap between industry and academia and enhance the capacity of Pakistani universities to deliver graduates well-prepared for the demands of the modern workplace, with the overall goal of increasing workforce employability.
The U is HESSA’s lead implementing institution and project partners include the University of Alabama and the Institute for International Education (IIE). The trio of American institutions is working closely with the Pakistan Higher Education Commission and Pakistani colleges and universities to deliver trainings, host study tours, instigate networking, advance research and innovation, and spearhead equity initiatives.
In addition to sending U personnel to Pakistan to deliver workshops, and hosting virtual programming, the U has also welcomed program participants to both its Salt Lake City campus and U Asia Campus in 2023. From training university administrators in management best practices, to empowering women to step into leadership roles, to creating career development opportunities for students, HESSA is inspiring change in its 16 partner institutions.