ISLAMABAD, Oct 12 (DNA):A trade delegation from Pakistan, organized by the Pakistan-Romania Business Council (PRBC) and led by Atif Farooqi, Head of Delegation and Honorary Consul-Designate of Romania in Sindh, was received at the Ministry of Education and Research of Romania by State Secretary Prof. Dr. Eng. Gigel Paraschiv.
Sohail Shamim Firpo, Chairman PRBC and Deputy Head of Delegation, accompanied Farooqi. The meeting was arranged with the support of Alexandra Gros and Irina Bogdan, said a PRBC release issued here.
During the meeting, Farooqi highlighted the strong demand from Pakistan, which was the number one country for Romanian Government scholarship applications for 2026–27, with 14,515 out of 88,795 applications.
He proposed Karachi as the location for the first Romanian university campus in Pakistan, noting that the laws of both countries already allow it and that no Western university yet has a branch campus in Pakistan. The delegation also proposed joint programmes, twinning degrees and a Study in Romania roadshow in Pakistan in February 2027.
Speaking on the occasion, Farooqi said that Pakistan has one of the youngest populations in the world, and Romania has world-class universities at an affordable cost. “Together we can make Romania the first choice in Europe for Pakistani students,” he said.
The PRBC expressed gratitude to Dan Stoenescu, Ambassador of Romania to Pakistan, for his role in facilitating the delegation. The Council noted that his vision and efforts have contributed to opening new avenues in trade, connectivity and education between the two countries, including his early engagement with the Government of Sindh on a Romanian university presence in Karachi.
The Council also thanked the team of the Embassy of Romania in Islamabad and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania for their support.
Speaking after the meeting, Farooqi said, “This delegation would not have been possible without the vision and personal commitment of Ambassador Dr. Dan Stoenescu, a true friend of Pakistan. On behalf of every member of the delegation, I thank him and the outstanding team of the Embassy of Romania from the bottom of my heart.”
