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Islamabad: Lord Green today made a speech to members of the Karachi School for Business and Leadership about the role of education in the UK and Pakistan’s trade relationship
Speaking at the British Deputy High Commission in Karachi, Lord Green highlighted the strategic partnership between the Karachi School of Business and Leadership with the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge.
UK Cabinet Minister Baroness Warsi, who is accompanying Lord Green on his first visit to Pakistan as Trade Minister also attended the event, alongside Hussain Dawood, Chairman of the Karachi School for Business and Leadership.
Other guests attending the event were members of Karachi’s “Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry” and members of Pakistan Business Council.
In his speech Lord Green, UK Minister for Trade and Investment, said:
“UK exports in goods to Pakistan have shown double-digit levels of growth over the last year and I was pleased to note that Pakistan’s exports to the UK rose by 17% in the months from January to October, with particularly strong growth in textiles.
“The UK is the top destination in Europe for exports from Pakistan. It is also the largest European investor in Pakistan. Of the international businesses operating here, one in six is British and the UK is Pakistan’s strongest advocate for market access to the EU.
“We strongly support the European Commission’s proposal to extend GSP Plus eligibility to Pakistan. Negotiations are ongoing and we are pleased that the European Parliament’s draft report has welcomed the extension of GSP Plus. There is further potential for developing bilateral trade as UK consumers become more aware of what Pakistan has to offer.
Speaking about the importance of education, Lord Green added:
“One of the most important areas where we can work together to ensure future prosperity is education. It is an area in which the UK and Pakistan are already jointly engaged and where, in a country with 33 million students, there is huge potential.
“There are more people studying for O and A levels in Pakistan – some 170,000 of them – than anywhere else outside of the UK.
“We have 30,000 students from Pakistan in the UK, and graduates of UK universities are the backbone of many businesses here in Pakistan. The many thousands of Pakistani students who sit the ACCA and CIMA accounting qualifications can help to drive up trade and investment between our countries.
“And Prime Minister David Cameron was able to announce £650 million for education in Pakistan during his visit last year. These UK funds will help to get more than four million children into school, help recruit and train ninety thousand teachers and provide six million sets of text books.”
Mr. Hussain Dawood, Chairman, Karachi School for Business & Leadership, while speaking at the event said:
“Pakistan is faced with numerous internal and external challenges and one of the ways these can be addressed is by nurturing and grooming its human talent. The best way to do so is by establishing centres of excellences for applied education and training. KSBL is one such example, being established in collaboration with the University of Cambridge Judge Business School, offering world-class education in leadership and business with a focus on ethics and social responsibility”.
For more information, contact:
Mike Girling
Press Attaché
British High Commission
Islamabad
Tel: +9251 201 2000
Cell: +92300 500 5306
Website: http://ukinpakistan.fco.gov.uk