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University of London Vice-Chancellor visits Pakistan

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Professor Wendy Thomson CBE, Vice-Chancellor of the University of London, visited Pakistan where she met with current and former University of London students. Professor Thomson also hosted a series of meetings with government ministers, legal professionals and education leaders.

During the visit Professor Thomson travelled to Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, where she met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting to discuss how University of London programmes help develop skills for young people in Pakistan.

The visit began in Lahore, where discussions with Governor of Punjab Sardar Saleem Haider Khan centred on widening access to higher education across the province. A subsequent meeting with Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat explored new ways to support students in Punjab. The day concluded with a stakeholder dinner that brought together education leaders and senior leadership from the University's Recognised Teaching Centres, alongside prominent alumni and employers. 

In Karachi, Professor Thomson visited three Recognised Teaching Centres - TMUC, Dennings and SZABIST - which are part of the University's network serving nearly 8,000 students across Pakistan. All three of the visits involved meeting students and staff at the RTCs.  While in Karachi, Professor Thomson met with President Sulaiman Shahabuddin of Aga Khan University and with Chief Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui of the Sindh High Court, covering insights into Pakistan's legal education needs.

In Islamabad, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, Minister for Law and Justice, discussed initiatives to improve training for law graduates and strengthen legal education in Pakistan. University of London alumnus Barrister Usama Malik, now Director of Legal Education Pakistan, also joined these talks.

Meetings with Higher Education Commission Chairman Professor Dr Mukhtar Ahmed addressed future growth, while UK High Commissioner Jane Marriott and British Council Country Director James Hampson discussed strengthening educational partnerships between the UK and Pakistan.

During her stay in Islamabad, Professor Thomson spoke with Shiffa Yousafzai on 365 News' Ground Zero programme about the University's evolution from its early days of distance learning to today's digital delivery. 

The visit concluded with an alumni dinner in Islamabad, where graduates shared their achievements and discussed ways to support future University of London students in Pakistan, which is currently the University’s largest international market.

Professor Thomson’s visit to Pakistan was widely covered by local media, including The International News, The Nation and Daily Times.

This page was last updated on 13 February 2025