- Web Desk
- 10 Minutes ago
Oxford scholarships for Pakistanis; accessibility efforts intensify in South Punjab, Balochistan
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- Web Desk
- Jan 13, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan Super League franchise owner and education advocate Ali Khan Tareen has announced a new outreach drive aimed at increasing applications from South Punjab to the University of Oxford through the Tareen Oxford Scholarship, as provincial governments and private initiatives intensify efforts to expand access to world-class higher education.
In a message shared on social media, Tareen said his time at Oxford had a transformative impact on his life and expressed a desire to extend the same opportunity to talented students from underrepresented regions. Under the Tareen Oxford Scholarship, full tuition fees are covered for students from South Punjab pursuing master’s degrees at Oxford University. He noted, however, that applications from the region remain lower than expected.
To address this gap, Tareen announced that he will host an admissions guidance webinar on January 14 in collaboration with the Oxford Pakistan Programme (OPP), where prospective applicants will be guided through the admissions and scholarship process. Tareen said he will personally participate in the session to encourage students and answer their questions.
The Oxford Pakistan Programme is the largest privately funded scholarship initiative for Pakistani students globally. The programme supports Pakistani and British Pakistani students at Oxford through scholarships, studentships, research funding and academic exchange opportunities. OPP has partnered with major international institutions, including the Commonwealth, the British Council and the Malala Fund, and has raised more than £2 million to date, with over £450,000 disbursed in 2023 alone. The initiative aims to remove financial barriers and increase representation of Pakistani students at one of the world’s leading universities.
Parallel to these efforts, the Balochistan government has also launched a targeted initiative to support students from the province. In an announcement issued on social media, the provincial government invited aspiring scholars from Balochistan to attend an exclusive Oxford admissions guidance webinar on January 14, 2026. The session is designed to provide detailed information on the application process, eligibility requirements and academic preparation, with a focus on students from underserved backgrounds.
The webinar is being organized in collaboration with the Balochistan Education Endowment Fund as part of the launch of the Benazir Bhutto Graduate Scholarship. The initiative aims to enable students from Balochistan to pursue graduate studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines at Oxford University.
According to the provincial government, the scholarship honors the legacy of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and reflects the vision of Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti to empower the youth of Balochistan through access to elite global education. The statement also acknowledged the role of Principal Secretary Imran Zarkoon Khan in advancing the province’s education equity agenda.
Education experts say the combined efforts of private philanthropists, international programmes and provincial governments could significantly broaden access to top-tier universities for students from historically marginalized regions of Pakistan, helping to develop a new generation of global leaders and scholars.
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