The University of Utah is pleased to welcome the spring cohort of USPCASW exchange students. This is the fifth group of aspiring water engineers and technicians from Pakistan’s Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) to study at the U. It is also the largest, with seventeen students in total. The exchange program was established through the U.S.-Pakistan Centers for Advanced Studies in Water, a partnership between the University of Utah and MUET funded through a grant from USAID. The goal of the program is to promote Pakistan’s water security by building up the capacity of the next generation of the country’s water professionals.

The student exchange program combines a rigorous research component, training in technical writing, course work, and mentoring by university faculty. This semester students will be taking courses in groundwater hydrology, spacial modeling, remote sensing analysis, and water reuse. Faculty mentors include professors Steve Burian, Mike Barber, Rick Forster, Summer Rupper, Jim VanDerslice, Ramesh Goel, Krista Carlson, Simon Brewer, and Jennifer Weidhaas. The program also encourages students to get involved in the local community through the Cultural Diplomat Initiative. This effort involves students volunteering in the community, exploring the region’s natural landscapes, and participating in local arts and cultural events.

USPCASW Director Steve Burian is happy to welcome the new group. “We are very pleased to have such a large and motivated cohort joining us. Each semester the program is improving, and our goal is to provide these students with the tools and training they need to make a significant contribution to the betterment of their local communities back in Pakistan.”