By Rimsha Ali Shah
“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” Brad Paisley.
As we welcome 2016 tomorrow and begin the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN)’s next 365-page book, let’s take a look at how 2015 has been for PUAN. With twelve chapters and 15,000 alumni from 20+ exchange programs across Pakistan, PUAN forms one of the largest networks of U.S. exchange alumni worldwide. In 2015, PUAN supported 26 alumni small grants projects across 10 thematic areas and over 50 chapter activities that were spread over the entire country. Not only that, 2015 was also a year of two international conferences and a national conference that gathered over 600 alumni from across South Asia, including India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. As we embark on another year of community service and capacity building, let’s take a look at PUAN in 2015.
Mentorship Program
To build on the inherent potential of our alumni, the PUAN Mentorship Program bridges the industry-academia gap by offering mentorship opportunities for young aspiring professionals in our network. This is achieved by connecting young alumni with senior members of PUAN. This year, we saw 20 alumni benefit from this mentorship and guidance, and three of our alumni went on to receive formal job offers!
Sumera Bibi with disability rights activists and the founders of STEP, Atif Sheikh and Abia Akram
“I was so thrilled to be offered a formal job position at STEP within just two months! I have attended meetings with all of our key clients and that has really given a boost to my confidence.” Said Sumera Bibi, UGRAD 2014 alumna.
Faizan Hameed with Shah Rukh, founder of SmarTek
For Faizan Hameed, SUSI 2011 alumnus, working at Smartek with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women alumna Shah Rukh has been an eye-opener. In an industry dominated by men, Hameed is inspired by the resilience and focus of Shah Rukh. “This has been a great learning experience for me to see projects from the inception to the completion. As an employee, I am lucky to have been mentored by the best in this field and constantly learning every day.”
Usman with Umer Adnan, Founder of E4Technologies at the weekly PUAN radio show
Our third success story of this year is Cowlar, a smart collar for cows designed by E4Technologies, a start-up co-founded by Fulbright alumnus Umer Adnan. Global UGRAD alumnus Usman Liaquat says “Working on Cowlar has simply been awesome! Umer’s enthusiasm for the internet of things rubs off on everyone and inspires us to continue giving our 101%. Every time Cowlar receives recognition, I personally feel proud. Working at a start-up has been the best thing, I would say!”
Thematic Conferences
International Women Empowerment Conference
From the International Women Empowerment Conference to Youth Tech Camp and finally the International Conference: Peace and Conflict Resolution – PUAN has done it all! For each conference, a dedicated team of alumni volunteered their time and efforts to make it happen for the participants gathered from far and wide – including every corner of Pakistan and from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Nepal. It was the perfect blend of education and skills building, cultural exchange, networking, and entertainment. From the 25 plus skill-building sessions on themes as diverse as crises mapping and photography for social change to panel discussions with industry experts to community service projects that allowed participants to practically apply their learning, the thematic conference had it all.
Regional alumni from South Asia
Conference participants also appreciated the Bharatnatyam performance of Indu Mitha, Faryal Aslam and Amna Muwaz, the Theatre Wallay’s monologues from Voices of Partition, Arieb Azhar’smesmerizing sufi renditions, and Asrar and Zoe Vicajji’s powerful performances..
Alumni Making it Big
The list of great alumni achievements in 2015 is so long that we can’t hit them all, but we will highlight a few! The year began with Abia Akram’s nomination to the UN Women of Achievements List, and Zeeshan Usmani won Startup Cup and then initiated the Safe Schools Project with the co-operation of the UN, Gordon Brown and the Government of Pakistan. Asif Sinan cast a jazzical spell and Sidra Saeed ignited the discussion on women and politics at TedxSecunderabad. Professor Zabta Shinwari received the 2015 UNESCO Avicenna Prize of Ethics in Science, and Humaira Bachal made it to the final top 50 for the Global Teacher’s Award. Umer Adnan won the Challenge Cup for Cowlar and made it to the list of start-ups who would be presenting in San Francisco. And finally, at least three PUAN authors released their books this year: young Kanza Javed published Ashes, Wine and Dust, and Faizullah Jan wrote The Muslim Extremist Discourse, and Sajjad Haider released Cuckoo; all three were received well by readers.
Small Grant Activities
This year, 26 different projects were funded through the alumni small grant program, a USD5000 grant that supports alumni-led initiatives across Pakistan. With themes as diverse as women empowerment, disability rights, agriculture, and arts and regions spanning from Sargodha to K2, the alumni small grant projects have served as a great example of how exchanges are empowering local communities and continue to shine light on the promise and dedication of our alumni.
“I decided to hold this initiative because I wanted to engage different parts of the community in an art project. As a fresh alumna, I [wanted] to stay associated with the Fulbright family, as it is my first project since coming back from America,” said Natasha Jozi, one of the recipients of an alumni small grant.
Another recipient of the alumni small grant, Daniyal Hasan who organized the SUSI Reunion said, “I am grateful to the Alumni Small Grant because it helped me to achieve my dream and fulfill my promise to my mentors.”
“I applied for the Alumni Small Grant because of the access and ease associated with getting a grant as an alumnus,” said Syed Zia Hussain Shah, who won an alumni small grant for his project “Aghaz-e-Ravvish,” a low-cost tech-based distance learning program in Pakistan that aims to highlight the importance of tolerance, empathy and conflict resolution.
As we bid farewell to 2015, we would like to once again congratulate all our alumni on their achievements and their commitment to community development. Let’s get ready to write another amazing chapter, this time for 2016.
