The British High Commissioner-Designate, Mr Thomas Drew CMG, hosted a group of young, inspiring students from leading universities from across Pakistan at the British High Commission, Islamabad.
All the students were part of the British High Commission’s Youth Advisory Board, which was launched from the Great Debate competition. The members of the Board consist of the finalists of the competition that ran from September 2015 to December 2015 by the British High Commission in leading Pakistani Universities across four provinces and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The Board gives a unique platform to generate debate among young people around issues concerning them and to give advice on the UK’s work on education and engagement with young people in Pakistan.
The British High Commissioner-Designate also presented scholarship awards to Gadhaun Aslam of the Forman Christian College Lahore who won the Great Debate competition and to Iza Afridi from the COMSATS University Abbotabad, the first runner up of the competition.
Speaking at the meeting with Youth Advisory Board, the British High Commissioner-Designate to Pakistan, Thomas Drew CMG said: “I am delighted to meet the British High Commission’s first ever Youth Advisory Board today and very impressed to hear their views about various issues concerning to them.
“Young people of Pakistan make up two-thirds of its population. They have a vital role to play in ensuring economic, political and social progress. Listening to this group of unique and gifted students, harnessing their ideas, enthusiasm and expertise will help us better engage with young people in Pakistan and promote a culture of debate among this country’s future leaders.
“I believe that Pakistan has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape itself to be the kind of country its people want. I hope the young people of Pakistan will continue to generate a wider conversation about the kind of Pakistan they want in 2047. That is 100 years from the birth of Pakistan. It is also when the young people of today will be leading Pakistan.”
Thomas Drew began work as the British High Commissioner-Designate on Monday, and this event was one of his first engagements since arriving in Islamabad. The British High Commissioner-Designate has previously served as Political Counsellor in the British High Commission, Islamabad. Since then he has been the National Security Director in the Foreign Office and the Principal Private Secretary (Chief of Staff) to Foreign Secretaries William Hague and Philip Hammond.
