Nuaman Ishfaq Mughal,
Islamabad: The UMass Civic Initiative, a unit of the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute, conducted an alumni workshop for 70 participants of Study of the United States Institutes (SUSI) in Islamabad.
Each summer for the past 10 years, the UMass Civic Initiative has organized and administered the SUSI programme, a six-week summer programme that brings up to 25 students from Pakistan to the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts for courses and experiences that discuss public policy and democracy within Pakistan and the United States. The programme is funded by the United States (U.S.) Department of State
“We’ve been running the SUSI program for last 10 years. These Pakistan reunions, like the current one in Islamabad, not only provide continuing education for our alumni but they also provide them a chance to build and strengthen their in-country networks,” said by Dr. Michael Hannahan, Director of the University of Massachusetts Civic Initiative.
The SUSI alumni participated in trainings in cross-cultural communication, personal branding and leading personal and organizational change. Similar trainings for alumni have already occurred in Karachi and Lahore.
The University of Massachusetts Civic Initiative, a business group of the UMass Donahue Institute, is dedicated to promoting democracy through education in both the U.S. and abroad. Each year, the Civic Initiative brings several select groups of students, scholars, and professionals from around the world to the UMass Amherst campus for courses that examine modern politics and public policy. The groups also include cultural and community-based activities during their multi-week visits. In 2018, visiting scholar groups included approximately 140 visitors from nearly 30 countries, including Pakistan.
The University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute is the public service, outreach and economic development group of the University of Massachusetts President’s Office. Established in 1971, the Institute strives to connect the Commonwealth with the resources of the University, bridging theory and innovation with real world public and private sector applications.