Islamabad (GNP): Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has launched the BrainGain Portal, a global digital platform aimed at connecting Pakistan’s engineering community with experienced Pakistani professionals and international experts around the world. The portal was jointly inaugurated at PEC Headquarters in Islamabad by Chief Guest Engr. Shahid Iqbal Baloch, Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and PEC Chairman Engr. Waseem Nazir, with Pakistan’s Ambassador to France, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, attending as Guest of Honour.
The launch ceremony drew senior government officials, representatives from Pakistan’s diplomatic missions in France, New Zealand, the UAE, Kuwait, Australia, Canada, and Saudi Arabia, along with vice chancellors, faculty members, industry figures, incubation centres, technology parks, startups, and BrainGain Ambassadors representing several countries. Through the portal, Pakistani engineers and professionals based abroad will be able to mentor students, review research and technical proposals, supervise final-year academic projects, advise startups, and offer specialized support on industry standards and accreditation within Pakistan.
The platform operates via two main tracks: Contributors and Seekers. Senior engineers, academics, consultants, and specialists can sign up as Contributors to share their expertise, mentorship, and professional networks, while students, universities, startups, and industry players can register as Seekers to present real-world challenges, projects, and research needs. The portal also features a Hall of Fame honoring pioneering Pakistani engineers, a registry of Iconic Projects documenting major engineering milestones, and a Success Stories section spotlighting the achievements of Pakistani engineers and technologists globally.
PEC Chairman Engr. Waseem Nazir explained that the initiative is meant to bring the knowledge and expertise of overseas Pakistani engineers back into the country, emphasizing that the goal isn’t to bring the engineers themselves home, but their knowledge — noting that as knowledge returns, ideas, opportunity, and national progress tend to follow.
Secretary Shahid Iqbal Baloch described the portal as more than just a networking tool, calling it a lasting repository of verified expertise that Pakistan can continue to draw from. He noted that a country doesn’t lose its talent simply because that talent moves abroad — it only loses that talent when it stops engaging with and seeking their contributions.
Ambassador Mumtaz Zahra Baloch congratulated PEC on the portal’s launch and pledged her support for the initiative, noting that Pakistan’s diplomatic missions share the vision behind BrainGain and that the timing was right for Pakistani engineers and scientists worldwide to connect, share expertise, and collaborate toward national development.
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The BrainGain Portal was developed by PEC’s Corporate Affairs Unit under the leadership of Engr. Muhammad Sohail Khan, Head of Corporate Affairs, with Engr. Ali Raza Asif of the Global Linkages Division heading platform development and Hamza Khan of the System Development Division overseeing feature implementation. The portal’s design was shaped through consultation with BrainGain Ambassadors — senior Pakistani engineers living abroad who will lead outreach efforts in their respective regions. Currently in its Beta phase, the platform is expected to move toward full release as membership and usage expand. Registration is free and open to Pakistani engineers and professionals worldwide, as well as international experts, students, universities, startups, and industry, at braingain.pec.org.pk.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
