Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the British Council have launched the £10 million second phase of the Pak-UK Education Gateway, expanding a flagship bilateral initiative designed to strengthen university partnerships, research collaboration and academic mobility between the two countries.
Jointly funded by the HEC and the British Council, the programme builds on a partnership launched in 2018 and aligns with shared priorities including climate change, skills development, economic growth and higher-education reform. The new phase comes at a time when both countries are seeking to enhance international cooperation in higher education amid mounting pressures from climate risks, shifting labour-market demands and funding constraints.
Education cooperation has increasingly emerged as a cornerstone of Pakistan-UK relations, with a growing focus on expanding academic mobility, boosting joint research output and improving international recognition of qualifications. In a post on X, the HEC described the initiative as a “£10 million partnership set to deepen collaboration between UK and Pakistani universities on critical issues like climate change and mobility,” calling it a true system-to-system commitment.
Officials said the first phase of the Pak-UK Education Gateway supported 165 institutional partnerships, generated nearly 2,000 joint research publications and disbursed £5 million in research grants. The second phase aims to build on these outcomes as part of a broader, long-term effort to internationalize Pakistan’s higher-education sector.
British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said education cooperation remains central to the United Kingdom’s engagement with Pakistan. She described education as the foundation of growth and prosperity, noting that UK support in Pakistan spans education reform, skills development and higher education partnerships. She added that the new phase would open fresh opportunities for universities in both countries.
The expanded programme includes additional funding for scholarships, joint research grants and faculty exchanges, alongside a new Start-Up Challenge Fund to support university collaborations focused on commercial opportunities and access to new markets.
It will also prioritize leadership and governance reforms within Pakistan’s higher-education system, with an emphasis on quality assurance, improved accessibility for students with disabilities and greater participation of women in senior leadership roles. The initiative further aims to expand access to UK-accredited programmes in Pakistan and advance the mutual recognition of academic qualifications.
Federal Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the initiative has already delivered tangible results since its launch in 2018, describing education as “the bridge that connects people, cultures, and futures.”
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Acting HEC Chairperson Nadeem Mahbub said the Pak-UK Education Gateway represents a long-term, system-to-system partnership that will benefit institutions and students in both Pakistan and the United Kingdom.