British Council Pakistan organised a first of its kind information expo in Lahore to provide guidance on studying and living in the UK on 21 November 2015.

The event showcased the UK through iconic imagery, interactive sessions with a variety of speakers, and information. It was inaugurated by Murray Keeler, Director Examination Services Pakistan, and attended by dignitaries from across the mission along with prominent university chancellors, school leaders and the media.

It was the first time that various UK teams working in Pakistan came together on one platform to showcase their work, share information and answer queries from visitors on student life in the UK. The teams included IELTS, DFID, Chevening Scholarships, Education UK, Exams and English each of whom had a booth allocated to them in which they had their information material and dedicated staff to cater to the queries from the visitors.

The event was attended by more than 600 students, teachers, educationists and career counsellors. The Education UK information desk received more than 100 participants making it the busiest because the audience was interested in knowing the application process, visa requirements and various issues they face while applying to study in the UK.

The information desk was also represented by Sharne Proctor (Representative Durham University) and Fahd Ali Asif (Representative Dundee University), both of whom were guest speakers at the Education UK Symposium on Career Counselling held in Islamabad on 19 November and had agreed to partner with the British Council team in promoting Education in the UK.

Simultaneously, information sessions to highlight the UK as a world class study destination were in progress, and were delivered by various speakers.

The programme for the expo is given below:

Session 1: The Department for International Development (DFID) Representative

Speaker: Ben French, Head of DFID Lahore

Topic: DFID’s role in Pakistan for reducing poverty and helping build a prosperous and stable country.

Session 2: Durham University

Speaker: Sharne Procter

Topic: Effective planning and subject selection for higher education in the UK.

Session 3: Chevening Scholarship Pakistan Representative

Speaker: Shahla Qayyum, Deputy Head Chevening Scholarship Pakistan at British High Commission Islamabad Pakistan

Topic: Chevening Scholarship in Pakistan creates opportunities for outstanding emerging leaders to pursue a one-year Master’s degree at any UK university.

Session 4: University of Dundee

Speaker: Fahd Ali Asif

Topic: Changing landscapes of education and employability

Session 5: IELTS Representative

Speaker: Sara Qureshi, Head of Marketing Exams

Topic: Busting myths on IELTS

The event turned out to be a huge success as career counsellors, educationists and consultants came from all over Punjab to attend the event and the teams are hopeful of carrying it forward next year as well. For details on partnership development, contact the SIEM Pakistan team for a customised session.