Karachi: The U.S. Mission in Pakistan, in partnership with Vanderbilt University (Tennessee, USA), marked the completion of the STEMpowered project, a $294,000 initiative that brought U.S. teaching and leadership expertise to strengthen STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education in Pakistan.
In partnership with Sukkur IBA (SIBA) University and Beyond the Classroom Education, the program included a week-long immersion at Vanderbilt for SIBA faculty, focusing on STEM teaching methods, research, AI in education, and refining practical solutions for classroom challenges. To culminate the program, the U.S. Consulate General in Karachi hosted a four-day workshop in partnership with Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development, uniting 30 Pakistani STEM educators, four Peabody faculty, 11 SIBA faculty, and 16 students.
Through interactive sessions and presentations, participants enhanced their teaching skills and built professional networks for ongoing collaboration. The program also strengthened ties with peer institutions, including faculty from Aga Khan University, and reaffirmed U.S. leadership in global STEM education.
Participants in the program produced a STEM Toolkit and a Curriculum Quality Assurance Framework which will support nationwide adoption of U.S. best practices. In a targeted pilot study across selected classrooms in Sindh province, the project achieved strong results.
Low-cost, inquiry-based methods increased student confidence in STEM experiments by 60–80%, while culturally-relevant teaching raised girls’ participation and leadership in STEM by over 30%. The STEMpowered initiative demonstrates the strength of the U.S.–Pakistan educational partnership, leveraging American excellence and rigorous methodology to drive systemic educational reform and pave the way for continued collaboration and innovation in critical STEM fields.
