The month of June was marked with a grand Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) for the Fulbright Masters, PhD and Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Programs. Two separate ceremonies were held in Islamabad to prepare 157 students to travel to and study in the U.S. The first ceremony was held on June 29 at HEC Auditorium, where the HEC Chairman Dr. Farooq Laghari and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, ECA, Ms. Alina Romanowski delivered inaugural speeches. On June 30, the second grand ceremony was held at Prime Minister’s Secretariat. Prime Minister Syed Raza Gilani and US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson addressed the Fulbright grantees, congratulating them on their participation in this prestigious program, as well as emphasizing the importance of the Fulbright mission to promote mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries. In addition to preparing them to travel to and study in the U.S., students were given a chance to meet and mingle at dinner held at USEFP along with musical entertainment, prizes, and fun.

PDOs were also held for students proceeding to study in the U.S. independently this fall. In Lahore on July 9, Islamabad on July 16, and in Karachi on June 25 and July 7 events were held to provide students and their parents an opportunity to network with each other while USEFP officials addressed their queries and concerns. Alumni of twin cities (Isb/Rwp) and Quaid-i-Azam University had get-togethers in June while the Peshawar Chapter held elections on July 10, unanimously re-electing Dr. Nasir Jamal Khattaks as President of the chapter for the coming year.