KARACHI:The graduation ceremony for the first batch of Pakistani students of Transportation Engineering was held at the College of Transportation, Southeast University, China under the auspices of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) Scholarship Programme.
The Higher Education Commission and CRBC had inked a Document of Understanding for this Masters Studies programme for Pakistani students in 2017. It is the first postgraduate level plan in transportation sector for countries along the Belt and Road Initiative and is strongly supported by the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission and HEC Pakistan.
Mr. Ye Chengyin, Deputy General Manager CRBC, Mr. Ren Lijian, Vice Principal, Southeast University (SEU) and other distinguished guests attended the ceremony wherein 10 Pakistani students were issued the graduate certificate and were awarded special souvenirs.
Currently, the second batch of 29 Pakistani students is also studying in SEU while the third batch of another 29 students is planning to study for Masters degree from September 2019.
Speaking during the ceremony, Mr. Chengyin said that under the guidelines of Belt and Road Initiative, CRBC will try its utmost to be a pacesetter in infrastructure connectivity as well as pioneer and contributor in enhancing people-to-people ties.
CRBC started cooperation with HEC and Southeast University in 2017, initiating the programme “Inherit Pak-China Friendship, Hundred Talents Study Financing Programme” which will fully fund 100 people including in-service staff members for higher education in China. It aims at developing professionals in transportation field in Pakistan and cultivate senior technical and management personnel for CPEC construction.
Lijian said that SEU is a first-class university in China, which pays great attention to cooperation and exchanges with countries along the Belt and Road Initiative.
Representative of Pakistani students, Qamar Zaman Bhatti said that SEU is his second hometown where he was kindly treated by teachers and students, learnt many new skills, made new friends. He said that he would make all-out effort to contribute for development of CPEC as well as China-Pakistan friendship.