RAWALPINDI Feb 09 (TNS): Minister Counselor for Public Affairs Kathryn Crockart and the Vice Chancellor of the Fatima Jinnah Women University Professor, Dr. Samina Amin Qadir, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to renew the partnership with the Susan B. Anthony Reading Room in a ceremony at the university.
During the ceremony, Dr. Qadir expressed her appreciation for the opportunities to build exchanges and research capabilities with U.S. academic institutions that the Embassy has helped foster through the reading room. Ms. Crockart underlined the importance and value that women bring to society and the workforce and lauded FatimaJinnah Women University and SBARR for their positive impact on education in Pakistan.
First established in 2008, the Susan B. Anthony Reading Room is the result of ten years of partnership between FJWU and U.S. Embassy Islamabad. The reading room is named after Susan B. Anthony, the nineteenth-century American known for her advocacy of voting rights and education for women, improved working conditions, and the abolition of slavery. The Susan B. Anthony Reading Room regularly organizes programs for university students, faculty, and guests focusing on English language learning, educational advising and exam resources, U.S. exchange alumni and cultural programs, and information about the United States.
The reading room’s book and writing clubs are particularly popular among visitors. The reading room has also hosted programs to raise awareness about gender-based violence and discrimination and to promote knowledge sharing among entrepreneurs. The Susan B. Anthony Reading Room’s Friends of the Corner volunteer program also provides students with opportunities to enhance their learning experience and position them for professional careers. During the visit, Ms. Crockart also congratulated a graduating group of volunteers for their contributions and commitment and awarded Certificates of Recognition.
The Susan B. Anthony Reading Room is part of the U.S. Embassy’s network of 18 Lincoln Corners in Pakistan. Lincoln Corners are resource centers and event spaces hosted in partnership with Pakistani libraries, universities, and cultural centers. They provide a platform for open dialogue between Pakistanis and Americans and strengthen people-to-people ties.
