ISLAMBAD, JAN 08 (DNA) – – Senior officials from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan held a send-off reception today at the National University of Sciences and Technology for approximately two dozen students and faculty who are departing for a semester abroad at Arizona State University.

Over the next four years, approximately 200 energy-engineering graduate students and faculty from the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) and the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Peshawar will each spend a semester in the United States to carry out energy research at Arizona State University’s state-of-the-art laboratories.

 The exchange visits, coordinated through the USAID-funded U.S.-Pakistan Centers for Advanced Studies in Energy (USPCAS-E), will provide faculty the opportunity to upgrade their teaching and corporate-partnership skills and will offer students an opportunity to enhance their research skills and industry awareness.

“The United States is committed to education and economic development in Pakistan, and the U.S.-Pakistan Centers for Advanced Studies in Energy will help meet Pakistan’s needs for applied research and skilled graduates in the energy field,” USAID Deputy Mission Director Cathy Moore said.

USPCAS-E is a joint initiative among NUST, UET Peshawar, and Arizona State University focusing on applied research projects relevant to Pakistan’s energy needs.

 The partnership has multiple goals including curriculum development, research, establishment of new laboratories, and exchange programs.  Under the umbrella of the Higher Education Commission, the centers at NUST and UET are expected to eventually become Pakistan’s premier sustainable energy research centers.

USPCAS-E also aims to set new standards for supporting the success of women and disadvantaged youth in the engineering profession.

USPCAS-E is part of USAID’s larger $127 million U.S.-Pakistan Centers for Advanced Studies investment that aims to harness applied research to find innovative and practical solutions for Pakistan’s energy, water, agriculture, and food security challenges.=DNA