Consulate General of the United States of America – Page 4

July 9, 2018

STEM Summer Camp 2018 closing events at the U.S. Consulate General in Karachi

Karachi, July 09, 2018 (PPI-OT): Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Summer Camp 2018 at the Lincoln Corners in Liaquat Memorial Library and Pakistan American Cultural Center finished strong with an interactive and energetic closing ceremony at the United States Consulate General in Karachi. During the 10-day camp, WeMakers, an organization founded by 19-year-old entrepreneurs and nurtured at NEST I/O, a technology incubator in Karachi, carried out coding workshops culminating with participants developing “augmented reality” games. Summer camp 2018 also featured English-language learning, art creation, and public speaking activities, which the young participants enthusiastically demonstrated through role plays and presentations.

On the final day, participants tested their knowledge with a Jeopardy-style quiz with American diplomats and also organized recycling projects and planted trees at the consulate as a part of the Green Team – Recycling efforts at the U.S. Consulate General, Karachi. U.S. Diplomats based in Karachi congratulated the 53 participants with Summer Camp 2018 completion certificates.

Lincoln Corners are partnerships between the Embassy of the United States of America and selected institutions in Pakistan. Lincoln Corners provide access to current and reliable information about the United States through books, magazines, videos, internet access, databases, and programs for the general public. There are five Lincoln Corners located in Sindh and 13 others throughout Pakistan.

For more information, contact:
Spokesperson,
Consulate General of the United States of America
Plot No 3-5, TPX Area, Mai Kolachi Road,
Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-35275000 Ext: 5242
Fax: +92-21-35275985
Cell: +92-302-8294015
Email: asmusbp@state.gov
Website: http://karachi.usconsulate.gov

March 27, 2018

The Mary McBride Band enthralls Karachiites

Karachi, March 27, 2018 (PPI-OT): The Mary McBride Band enthralled music lovers with a pleasant medley of American favourites here at the Pakistan American Cultural Centre (PACC) Karachi on March 26. Mary McBride and her band are visiting Karachi for the third time at the invitation of the United States Consulate General in Karachi.

“Tonight we are celebrating music and its power to bring people together,” said Acting Consul General John Warner. “Music allows us to experience the same emotions, no matter what language we speak, what colour we are, the form of our politics, or the expression of our love and our faith.”

During this visit to Karachi the band recorded a video of a fusion song, ‘Home’ with Sounds of Kolachi, and spent time with special needs children at Dar-ul-Sukun orphanage. They also conducted a music workshop for the students and faculty of the Karachi Arts Council Music Academy.

As a cultural envoy for the U.S. Department of State, Mary McBride and her band have performed in over 20 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Afghanistan, and Russia. Band members include John Kengla on guitar, Jon Spurney on keyboards, Armistead Wellford on bass, and Dave Scalia on drums with Mary McBride as the lead singer.

March 26, 2018

United States and Pakistan Women’s Council and American Business Council host seminar on ‘Corporate Best practices for Advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment’

Karachi, March 26, 2018 (PPI-OT): The American Business Council and U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council members, Engro Foundation, PepsiCo and S and P Global hosted seminar today on best practices for hiring and retaining women. Acting Consul-General John Warner welcomed over 60 participants, including members of the Young Presidents’ Organization, the American Business Council, and major Pakistani financial institutions. “This seminar highlights the business case for investing in women’s success in the workplace and to discuss how women’s economic empowerment helps companies grow,” said the Acting Consul-General.

Participants discussed how hiring women helps uplift communities. They also discussed the importance of providing flex-time and day-care facilities to retain women employees, and shared programs for developing women as leaders within their organizations. The U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council seeks to increase economic participation by women in Pakistan through entrepreneurship, employment and education. Established in 2012, the Council coordinates and initiates pilot efforts within its network in order to promote diversity and economic inclusion.

The Council currently has eight corporate members in Pakistan: Citigroup, The Coca-Cola Company, Engro, General Electric, PepsiCo, Procter and Gamble, Standard and Poor’s Global, and The Resource Group. Members implement Council commitments that empower women and strengthen Pakistan’s economy through hiring and diversity initiatives, internships, mentorships, and other activities.

To learn more about the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council, visit https://www.american.edu/sis/us-pakistanwomenscouncil/

January 29, 2018

VMware and United States Consulate General Karachi hosts Technology Leaders in Pakistan to Drive Digital Transformational Change in 2018

Islamabad, January 29, 2018 (PPI-OT):More than thirty technology leaders gathered at the inaugural Digital Transformation event hosted by VMware Inc. (NYSE: VMW), a global leader in cloud infrastructure and business mobility, and the U.S. Consulate General Karachi for an evening of awards and networking. Leaders from the IT, manufacturing and financial industry, including National Bank of Pakistan, United Bank Limited, and Jubilee Life Insurance, discussed the importance of digital transformation in today’s business environment and how technology is reshaping their business.

Delivering the keynote speech at the event, Adrian Hia, General Manager, Nascent Markets and Vietnam, VMware stressed that IT is increasingly becoming the driving force in businesses globally as they respond to digital disruption and consumer trends. The rise of internet users in emerging markets, such as Pakistan, is driving the need for traditional businesses to redefine their customer experience quickly or lose out in an increasingly competitive landscape. In 2016 alone, the number of internet users in Pakistan swelled by 20 per cent – double the global average growth rate. Out of which, 70 per cent of these users access the internet through mobile. Modernizing IT infrastructure will help local businesses ease their transition to becoming a digital business to capitalize on these growth opportunities.

“Modernizing the data center has now become a must-have that defines a business’ competitive edge in today’s digital economy. Traditional data centers typically require high energy consumption and IT talents, both of which serve as significant challenges in an emerging market like Pakistan where resources should be optimized and channelled towards more strategic initiatives. By adopting a software-defined data center strategy, businesses can significantly improve IT efficiency, performance, and scalability,” said Adrian Hia, General Manager, Nascent Markets and Vietnam, VMware.

The event concluded with an awards ceremony to celebrate accomplishments in 2017 and inspire digital leaders to continue accelerating digital transformation in their businesses. Award winners include International Textile Limited, Karachi Electric, Meezan Bank, National Telecommunication Corporation and United Bank Limited.

January 25, 2018

Farewell hosted for US Consul General

Karachi, January 25, 2018 (PPI-OT):Farewell reception for Consul General of United States of America, Ms. Grace Shelton was hosted here on Wednesday evening to acknowledge her diplomatic efforts to strengthen US-Pakistan’s economic, cultural and political relations during her posting in Karachi for around last one and a half years. Nicely arranged dinner reception at Beach Luxury Hotel on Wednesday evening was attended by foreign diplomats including from United Kingdom, Bahrain, Japan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka besides local prominent business and social figures.

General Manager, Beach Luxury Hotel, M. Azeem Qureshi, in his welcome remarks, said Ms. Grace Shelton and her team had been playing a very active role to promote bilateral trade and to convince US business community to invest in various potential economic sectors of Pakistan. The US Consul General praised the hospitality of Karachiites and that she was impressed by their active participation in economic, cultural and political activities. Karachi has a great economic potential and is a peaceful city, which has made it very attractive destination to foreign diplomats.