06-04-2007, 05:09 AM
<b>Pakistani Student Wins Major British Council Honor
By Raza Mumtaz 'Pakistan Times' Executive Editor/UK Bureau Chief</b>
http//www.pakistantimes.net/2007/06/03/top3.htm
LONDON (UK) A student from Pakistan has scooped a top prize in a major British Council competition designed to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of international students in the UK.
Thanks to her inspirational story of student life in the UK, Zahra Sohni Khan was a regional winner in the prestigious International Student Awards 2007. Now in its fifth year, the national competition aims to shine the spotlight on international students and their contributions to life in the UK.
According to a FCO release, more than 2,000 students, representing 130 nationalities entered this year's competition - including 86 entries from students from Pakistan studying at universities, colleges of further and higher education, schools and English language institutions across the UK.
Zahra, aged 21, won her place in the final after being named International Student of the Year for the East of England region of the UK.
She joined 11 other regional winners challenging for the overall UK International Student of the Year title at a glittering awardsâ ceremony in London, where she was presented with a £1,000 prize and a commemorative trophy.
Perspective
Hailing from Karachi, Zahra is a natural sciences student at the University of Cambridge, where she has immersed herself in campus life and forged a position as one of the universityâs key student organizers.
Zahra has represented the university in debating competitions and held committee positions - from college secretary to entertainments officer - organizing some highly successful cultural events.
She ran for the position of Women of Trinity president and has been a diligent advocate for issues affecting women students at the university, even helping set up a womenâs basketball team.
She said "Iâve been privileged to work alongside some of the brightest minds in the world, and being judged on the basis of my work and not my gender has been liberating."
As well as achieving considerable academic success, Zahra has volunteered at a local hospital's rehabilitation unit for people who have suffered strokes.
The International Student Awards is different from other student competitions. Instead of focusing solely on academic achievements, it highlights extra-curricular achievements and community involvement, celebrating the whole international student âexperienceâ. To enter, each student was asked to write a personal âletter homeâ in English, detailing the out-of-class achievements that help make their time in the UK so rewarding.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Lord Neil Kinnock, Chair of the British Council, said âThe students stories have been detailed, perceptive, and sometimes very moving, personal accounts. All have been impressive pieces of work, providing thousands of fine examples of how international students engage in an almost endless variety of extra-curricular activities to add value to their education, and to enrich their personal development, their confidence, independence of mind and understanding of humanity." Yu Huai Zhang, from China, was named overall International Student of the Year 2007.
There are currently 279,485 international students studying in higher and further education in UK. More than 7,580 international students entered UK independent schools in 2005-6, while around 600,000 international students come to the UK to learn English every year, on a wide variety of courses.#9679;
By Raza Mumtaz 'Pakistan Times' Executive Editor/UK Bureau Chief</b>
http//www.pakistantimes.net/2007/06/03/top3.htm
LONDON (UK) A student from Pakistan has scooped a top prize in a major British Council competition designed to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of international students in the UK.
Thanks to her inspirational story of student life in the UK, Zahra Sohni Khan was a regional winner in the prestigious International Student Awards 2007. Now in its fifth year, the national competition aims to shine the spotlight on international students and their contributions to life in the UK.
According to a FCO release, more than 2,000 students, representing 130 nationalities entered this year's competition - including 86 entries from students from Pakistan studying at universities, colleges of further and higher education, schools and English language institutions across the UK.
Zahra, aged 21, won her place in the final after being named International Student of the Year for the East of England region of the UK.
She joined 11 other regional winners challenging for the overall UK International Student of the Year title at a glittering awardsâ ceremony in London, where she was presented with a £1,000 prize and a commemorative trophy.
Perspective
Hailing from Karachi, Zahra is a natural sciences student at the University of Cambridge, where she has immersed herself in campus life and forged a position as one of the universityâs key student organizers.
Zahra has represented the university in debating competitions and held committee positions - from college secretary to entertainments officer - organizing some highly successful cultural events.
She ran for the position of Women of Trinity president and has been a diligent advocate for issues affecting women students at the university, even helping set up a womenâs basketball team.
She said "Iâve been privileged to work alongside some of the brightest minds in the world, and being judged on the basis of my work and not my gender has been liberating."
As well as achieving considerable academic success, Zahra has volunteered at a local hospital's rehabilitation unit for people who have suffered strokes.
The International Student Awards is different from other student competitions. Instead of focusing solely on academic achievements, it highlights extra-curricular achievements and community involvement, celebrating the whole international student âexperienceâ. To enter, each student was asked to write a personal âletter homeâ in English, detailing the out-of-class achievements that help make their time in the UK so rewarding.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Lord Neil Kinnock, Chair of the British Council, said âThe students stories have been detailed, perceptive, and sometimes very moving, personal accounts. All have been impressive pieces of work, providing thousands of fine examples of how international students engage in an almost endless variety of extra-curricular activities to add value to their education, and to enrich their personal development, their confidence, independence of mind and understanding of humanity." Yu Huai Zhang, from China, was named overall International Student of the Year 2007.
There are currently 279,485 international students studying in higher and further education in UK. More than 7,580 international students entered UK independent schools in 2005-6, while around 600,000 international students come to the UK to learn English every year, on a wide variety of courses.#9679;
