Punjab CM invites Turkish universities to expand footprint in Pakistan at Antalya Diplomacy Forum
ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Saturday invited leading Turkish universities to expand their footprint in Pakistan's most populous province while addressing a session focused on education at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2025.
The annual forum, now in its fourth edition, is hosted under the patronage of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and aims to foster dialogue and cooperation on pressing global issues. This year's theme, 'Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World,' has drawn world leaders, diplomats and civil society actors to discuss solutions to global challenges, including education, conflict and development.
Before her address, Sharif met with Erdoğan and First Lady Emine Erdoğan. The Turkish president warmly welcomed and thanked her for participating in the forum.
'I take this opportunity to invite the top universities of Türkiye to expand their presence in Punjab, to create more centers of eminence, more centers of excellence where our youth can learn, grow and lead,' she said while addressing the gathering.
'Let us ensure that our collaboration and exchange programs become the foundation for a brighter, human-centric future, a future that both Pakistanis and Turkish generations will be proud to inherit,' she added.
The Punjab chief minister emphasized her provincial government's commitment to transforming education landscape.
She outlined several reform initiatives, including the upgradation of more than 4,000 primary schools into elementary schools to combat generational dropouts, particularly in rural areas where children often leave school after Class 5 due to the absence of nearby middle schools.
'This upgradation is not a token gesture. It is a systemic intervention,' she said, adding that digital learning rooms were also being established in over 6,000 schools across the province to integrate technology with pedagogy.
Sharif also spoke of reviving non-functional schools and turning them into 'sanctuaries of learning,' while highlighting a new nutrition program launched in underserved districts to address malnutrition among schoolchildren, especially girls.
'My government's foremost commitment is to women and children, to education and opportunity, and to dignity and justice,' she said. 'And it is in these arenas that I seek to construct a unique model of governance that is both ethical and effective.'
The chief minister further announced the creation of Pakistan's first Artificial Intelligence University in Lahore and the development of the Nawaz Sharif Internet City, a hub intended to foster innovation and IT-based learning that is named after her father.
'We are recruiting about 30,000 new school teachers entirely on merit,' she informed, noting that the province had also established a dedicated institution for teacher training and curriculum development aligned with 21st-century learning goals.
Sharif positioned herself during the speech not only as a political leader but also as 'an ambassador of education,' vowing to ensure that 'no child is left behind due to poverty, geography, gender or social restrictions.'
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