Fulbright student program evaluation in Pakistan midterm performance evaluation report

to early and mid-career professionals with high academic achievement and potential for leadership. The program is intended to support awardees" academic development, create mutual understanding between the people of Pakistan and the U.S., and facilitate linkages between American and Pakistani academic institutions and scholars. The program in Pakistan is also intended to support the U.S. Government"s public policy and diplomacy strategy, as well as meet the priority needs of the Government of Pakistan (GOP) in higher education. The purpose of this evaluation is to assess the extent to which the program is meeting its objectives and provide recommendations aimed at improving performance relative to USAID and U.S. Government objectives using these questions: (1) to what extent do Fulbright alumni return to Pakistan and, for those who do return, how long do they stay in Pakistan; (2) to what extent are Fulbright alumni productively employed in fields related to their academic preparation; (3) to what extent do Fulbright alumni contribute to achieving the goals and objectives of the U.S. Government"s development strategy in Pakistan as reflected in USAID"s relevant Development Objectives and Intermediate Results; (4) to what extent do the alumni of the Fulbright Program actualize their potential for, and assume positions of leadership in, academia, government, industry, and business in Pakistan; (5) what is the return on investment (ROI) of the Fulbright Program; (6) to what extent do Fulbright alumni contribute to achieving the goals and objectives of U.S. Government"s public diplomacy strategy in Pakistan, as reflected in the United States Department of State mission resource request, in Pakistan; and (7) how relevant is the current Fulbright Program (e.g., mix of master"s and PhDs: U.S., regional, in-country study, and fields of study) to the priority needs of Higher Education Commission? The evaluation concluded that the Fulbright Program has been very effective in supporting USAID and U.S. Government objectives. It has increased access to high quality education, improved access to scholarships, contributed to cultural understanding and academic collaboration, supported HEC objectives for improving the quality of faculty in Pakistani universities, and been responsive to changing HEC priorities in terms of supported fields of study. Fulbright alumni also have very favorable perceptions of the U.S. and the American people. The evaluation team could not identify opportunities for improving performance in areas addressed by the evaluation. (Excerpt, modified)