Location: Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Status: Active Since 2026
Generating Knowledge from the Mountains. Creating Impact for Children Everywhere.
The Herzing–Daya Research & Learning Hub is one of Pakistan’s first Early Childhood Development (ECD) research hubs located in a remote mountain region. Hosted at the University of Chitral and led by the Worldwide Education Foundation (WEF), USA, the Hub is dedicated to producing locally grounded evidence that strengthens ECD practice, informs policy, and improves outcomes for young children in underserved communities.
Why Chitral?
- Home to 52,000 children ages 3–5
- More than 40,000 primary school students
- Unique mountain communities often overlooked in education research
What We Do
- Conduct research on early childhood development and school readiness
- Strengthen ECD and primary education practices
- Build research capacity through academic partnerships
- Generate evidence to inform education policy and investment
Who Benefits?
- Young children and families
- ECD educators and primary school teachers
- Researchers and university students
- Policymakers and education stakeholders
Expected Impact
- Stronger early childhood education systems
- Smoother transition from ECD to primary school
- Evidence-based, scalable rural ECD models
- Research that informs policy and practice across Pakistan
Hosted by
University of Chitral
Led by
Worldwide Education Foundation (WEF), USA
Funded by
The Herzing and Daya Families