ISLAMABAD: Two Palestinian students arrived at Pakistan’s Faisalabad University on Tuesday on a fully funded bachelor’s degree program backed by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Standing Committee for Science and Technology (COMSTECH), the OIC body said.
COMSTECH launched the second phase of the scholarship program for Palestinian students in April, pledging an additional 5,000 fellowships for them. In the first phase in June 2021, the OIC body announced 500 scholarships for Palestinian students, with around 100 currently benefiting from the scheme in various Pakistani universities in which their tuition and hostel fees, along with monthly stipends, are covered.
“The University of Faisalabad officials welcomed two more Palestinian students, Amir S. F. Rasas and Soltan Nasser Mahfouz Barakah, who have arrived to pursue their fully funded bachelor’s degree program under the COMSTECH Fellowship/Scholarship Program for Palestine,” COMSTECH said in a statement.
COMSTECH said it has collaborated with the Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan (APSUP) and COMSTECH Consortium of Excellence (CCoE) member universities for the program.
“A significant number of Palestinian students are expected to arrive in Pakistan in the near future under this program, who will be placed in various Pakistani universities,” the OIC body said.
“COMSTECH, with the help of APSUP and CCoE member universities, will continue its efforts to support Palestinian students in their academic pursuits.”
At least 39,550 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Palestinian health officials say most of the fatalities have been civilians.
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after Hamas launched a surprise attack inside the Jewish state, killing 1,200 and capturing 250 people as hostages. Its strikes in Lebanon and Iran last week, which killed top Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, have raised fears of a wider conflict breaking out in the Middle East.
