English Works!

Program 2022-2023 opens at

NED University
Humanities Department, NEDUET was awarded the English Works! Program
2022-2023 by the Regional English Language Office (RELO) at the US Embassy,
Islamabad. The program is a remarkable opportunity for the intermediate and
undergraduate students of the underprivileged sections of the society. The aim of
this educational program is to develop students’ professional English language
skills and to equip them with employability and 21 st century skills.

There are currently 200 students enrolled in the program to complete a six-months
(246 hours) study plan to prepare as a strong workforce. The opening ceremony of
this programme was recently held at the City Campus of NED University located
in Saddar, Karachi. The ceremony was graced by the presence of honorary guests
from the US Consulate and the senior administration of the NED University of
Engineering & Technology.

Anastasia Kolivas, Public Diplomacy Officer, Vince Murphy, Public Affairs

Officer, and Aisha Amanullah, English Programs Manager, at the US Consulate
were received by the programme implementer, Prof. Dr. Sajida Zaki, Chairperson,
Humanities Department, and Prof Dr Noman Ahmed (TI), Dean, Faculty of
Information Science & Humanities.

The English Works! Students appreciated the program and demonstrated the skills
they acquired during the first module through different acts. The ceremony
formally began with the recitation of a few verses from the Holy Quran and its
translation by the students followed by the welcome note by the program
implementer, Prof. Dr. Sajida Zaki. She thanked the guests for their presence and
stressed on the importance of 21 st century skills and values for professional success
and achievement.

The highlight of the ceremony was the interview titled, ‘EW Inspiration’ in which
one of the specially abled students of English Work was interviewed about his
experience and the journey so far with the program. The interview was followed by
students’ speeches focused on the overall impact of the program on their learning
experience and skills development. The interview and the speeches both reflected
the positive impact and role of the program on their personal and professional
development.

The students also observed the Black History Month at the ceremony. They
prepared a presentation highlighting the history, significance, and the message of
this month. Subsequent to this, students presented a comparison between a good
and a bad employment interview. This act focused on the Do’s and Don’ts of the
job interview reinforcing the learning they had in their classrooms. The students
also interacted with Ms. Anastasia Kolivas through a quiz. The students actively
responded to the questions and enjoyed the interaction.

Afterwards, Dr. Noman Ahmed (TI), Dean, Faculty of Information Science &
Humanities, shared his thoughts on the program. He appreciated the efforts of the
program administration and teachers while highlighting the significant role of
communication and employability skills for the youth. Mr. Vince Murphy was
invited to share his views on the ceremony, students, and the English Works
program. In his speech, he appreciated the acts performed during the ceremony and
expressed his delight at the confidence and fluency of the students. He also referred
to the long history of the collaborative educational projects between Pakistan and
US along with the current statistics of students enrolled in programs like English
Works! Across Sindh and Balochistan.

Dr Noman Ahmed (TI) presented the souvenirs to the US Consulate officials. The
ceremony concluded with the vote of thanks by the Academic Coordinator, Dr.
Najeeb us Saqlain, and a group photograph.