The Educational Migration and it’s challenges

By: Kulsum Abbas, KIU, Gilgit

One of the biggest privileges in the world is to be around our loved ones in times of good and bad. Indeed, no one is dearer to anyone than their families. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan are well known for their enthusiasm for education. The region is very well literate and people are progressive in the areas where even the cities of Pakistan have failed to be. The journey of education for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan is very unique and there is a big commonality for the youth of Gilgit-Baltistan who aim to be educated over an intermediate level. Most of the youth of the region have to go to cities of Pakistan in the other provinces to get higher education.

This migration to educate themselves has pros and cons. The students learn a lot about life and how to be independent when they stay away from their families. They learn to manage their resources and learn to optimize to survive. One of the biggest learning they experience is to be adaptive to different cultures. The cultures around the globe are very different and adjusting to any of them is very hard for humans. Such an experience gives a person an acceptance of diversity and differences which lacks a lot in our society.

The cons on the other end, are too heavy to carry. Staying away from the family is the biggest of all. Many students who go to cities, leave their families behind which include their old parents and grandparents. The family members are at a stage of life where they thrive to spend time with their dear ones. They are also unable to have the support they require from the young blood in their everyday challenges. Many students feel that they have lost the emotional connection they had with their parents and grandparents as they spend a lot of time away from them. By staying away from their families, the students aren’t able to support the assets they have at home and share ideas directly to utilize them in the best ways possible.

In all this chaos, there is a gem in Gilgit-Baltistan that is working its best to retain the students in the region and provide them with the opportunities for which they leave their region. The Karakoram International University is the only university in Gilgit-Baltistan that offers a lot of educational opportunities to the youth. The departments are diverse and students can choose among many to improve their skills and education. The staff in the university is well trained and educated. It includes all the facilities from laboratories, classrooms, to cafeterias which students can utilize for their benefit. Fortunately, many branches of the University are now launched to cater to more regions and students of the region. And indeed, the people of the region are thankful as now they can educate themselves in the beautiful region, and are also able to be there for families. We hope for the university to grow and aim to improve it together for the improvement of the region. And we hope to uplift the region in all the ways possible collectively. Indeed, the youth is the future of the nation!