Following are links to select news coverage of this year’s PEL Institute:

Friday, July 27, 2007

Pakistanis ‘graduate’ at PSU

By BOB MARTIN

HOLDERNESS - Just a day after returning from Washington D.C. as part of a seminar, 15 educators from Pakistan participated in a commencement ceremony this week, making them the fourth graduating class of its kind at Plymouth State University…

DURING THE Wednesday afternoon closing ceremony for the 2007 Pakistani Educational Leadership Institute Participants Sarwat Naz Qureshi of Pakistan proudly displays her certificate.

A story also ran in the “Union Leader” on Saturday, July 21–It’ll be posted when a copy is available.

the “Record Enterprise” Thursday, Aug. 2.

PSU Says Goodbye to Pakistani Educational

08/02/2007 – PLYMOUTH— After more than three weeks of intense training sessions, meetings at Harvard University and the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C., this year’s 15 participants of Plymouth State University’s Pakistani Educational Leadership Institute (PELI) officially completed their program with closing ceremonies July 25 on the PSU campus, leaving for home the next day.

Pakistani Educational Leadership Institute participant Faiza Shahrukh receives her certificate from Plymouth State University President Sara Jayne Steen at closing ceremonies held last week. Fifteen Pakistani educators completed an intensive three-week summer program of study in professional development at PSU last week.

The PELI program focused on best practices in education and exemplary models in professional development and pedagogy. The institute experience also provided opportunities for citizen exchanges that reflect the essence of life in a democratic society. In congratulating the institute members, University President Sara Jayne Steen spoke about the difficulties between the U.S. and Pakistan and said some people think the problems are too difficult and avoid them, but that education is about touching human lives and solving problems.

She talked about the ongoing reciprocal learning between the group members and the Plymouth State faculty and staff, describing that learning as “genuinely effective and mutually respectful.” In closing, President Steen quoted Miranda, a character in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, “O brave new world, That has such people in’t!” and explained that in that speech Shakespeare challenges the reader to consider whether Miranda’s view is naïve or correct. She said, “Today is one of those moments when Miranda may be right. Sometimes people are extraordinary, and there are opportunities presented to us.”

Representatives of the participants affirmed the cultural exchange that occurred between the groups. Professor Mubasher Nadeem said, “We have brothers over here, we have sisters over here and we have friends over here.” Referring to the imminent parting, he quoted Robert Frost … “The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.

Nadeem’s colleague, 2004 and 2007 alumna Samia Rehman Dogar, highlighted the opportunity of working with distinguished intellectuals and thanked them for their “sincere efforts in providing our success in leadership that will help the people of Pakistan.” Each participant was called to the platform for presentation of an official certificate in a university diploma cover and a green and white sash with both Pakistani and university emblems.

PSU hosted the group of Pakistani educators for the fourth consecutive year as part of its Pakistani Educational Leadership Institute. Since 2004 PSU has trained 65 educators from Pakistan in three summer institutes; this group brings the number of program participants to 80. According to statistics compiled by Lahore-based Pakistani partner Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi, alumni of the program acting as master trainers in Pakistan have trained almost 10,000 educators. The Department of State’s Education and Cultural Affairs Bureau (ECA) works closely with Plymouth State University and the Pakistani partner organization, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi, to ensure that the program curriculum reflects U.S.-Pakistan education cooperation goals. PELI information, photographs and videos are available online at www.pelinstitute.org.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

The Exchange

A Pakistani Roundtable in New Hampshire: A panel of educators from Pakistan joins us. They are studying this summer at Plymouth State University. They’re here to get the leadership tools they need to promote change in their country’s educational system. We’ll talk with our panel about that and about life in Pakistan – the culture, the politics and their impressions of America.

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