Celebrating St Andrew’s Day in Pakistan

For many here in Pakistan, Scotland needs no introduction, with its vibrant Pakistani communities and the links between Scotland and Pakistan in higher education and business.I was delighted that my first big event as the new British High Commissioner to Pakistan after I arrived in January was to host a Burns Night party.  Haggis being piped into the Residence garden by bagpipers from the Pakistan Army was the highlight of the evening.

2014 has been, unofficially at least, the year of Scotland. And what a year it has been!The 12 months since the last St Andrew’s Day have been remarkable. It has been a year when Scotland has welcomed the world, hosted two great international sporting events, and when the Scottish people determined their own future.

The Commonwealth Games brought 6,500 athletes to Glasgow. They came from 71 nations and territories, representing a third of the world’s population, to compete in 17 sports over 11 glorious days. Over a million people filled Glasgow’s sporting arenas, and over a billion more were willing on the athletes from their homes.  Who can forget the three silver medals in judo, wrestling and boxing that Pakistani athletes, Shah Hussain Shah, Qamar Abbas and Muhammad Waseem brought home?

2014 was also the year that the United Kingdom demonstrated that values aren’t just something we talk about abroad- we live by them at home. In a defining moment in British history, and by a decisive majority, the people of Scotland voted to remain part of the United Kingdom, one of the most durable and successful political unions ever seen.

St Andrews Day is an ideal time to think about the impact Scots and Scotland have had on the world. From Haggis to Hogmanay, golf to the Highland Games- to its less well-known exports.

Scotland today has a huge amount to offer whether you are a student or looking to do business. Around 40,000 overseas students, including a sizeable number from Pakistan,come every year to seek an education fit for a King. It was, after all, at one of Scotland’s world-class universities, St. Andrews, that HRH Prince William studied and where he met his future wife.

This academic excellence helps to continue Scotland’s proud tradition of innovation.  With the highest level of education in the UK outside of London, Scotland is already a top location for Research &Development and Foreign Direct Investment in the UK.  With increased certainty about Scotland’s political future, many other firms will be looking to join household names like Amazon, Dell, Samsung, Microsoft, IBM, Morgan Stanley and Pfizer in moving their operations to Scotland.