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Malala Fund co-founders Malala Yousafzai and her father Ziauddin Yousafzai are set to arrive in Lahore this week. There are several things on their agenda, including promoting access to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education for young girls and a fellowship programme that trains teachers in Pakistan.

During their stay here, they will be speaking to key stakeholders in education, government, the development community, media, digital cultural creators, students and youth, along with advocates from the Malala Fund Education Champion Network and partners.

The co-founders will join an academic delegation from the Oxford Pakistan Programme (OPP) and the Malala Fund team, across a series of events, to increase awareness of the OPP within Pakistan, with focus on science education for Pakistani girls. The promotion of secondary school-aged girls’ access to STEAM education is a major pillar of the Malala Fund in Pakistan, who are currently working with the Ministry of Federal Education to implement an ambitious programme on STEAM education to reform 13,000 government high schools across Pakistan.

During this trip, Malala will also highlight work with the OPP, an initiative led by her alma mater. The OPP initiative aims to bridge Oxford and Pakistan’s academic communities, including a newly established fellowship with Malala Fund, Lady Margaret Hall (LMH), the OPP and Oxford’s Department of Education. The Malala Visiting Fellowship in Education will facilitate teacher training courses in Pakistan to address the shortage of trained teachers, especially women, in Pakistan.  

The co-founders will meet up with thought leaders, students, academia and activists across a series of events, including panels and round tables with both emerging and established voices, for a greater view on Pakistan’s present and future.

While in Lahore, Malala and Ziauddin will also hold a meeting with the chief minister of Punjab with a focus on education and the work of the Malala Fund in Pakistan.

Malala last visited Pakistan in October to meet with young women and families from flood-impacted communities in Sindh and to call on the international community to increase aid to Pakistan. During the trip, Malala announced Malala Fund’s commitment to pledge $700,000 (Rs154 million) to organisations in Pakistan to support flood relief.