LUMS – Pakistan Tech News

LUMS and London School of Economics partner to celebrate 75 years of Pakistan

Lahore – LUMS recently hosted the ‘Pakistan@75’ Summit curated by the South Asia Centre of the London School of Economics and Political Science. This collaborative event brought together over two hundred and fifty students, academics, industry professionals, and entrepreneurs to participate in a series of critical conversations around topics ranging from policy and philanthropy to health and the future of Pakistan’s economy.

“Debates about Pakistan’s legal, economic and developmental challenges and issues are ones the world can learn from,” said Professor Alnoor Bhimani, Honorary Dean at the Suleman Dawood School of Business, LUMS and Professor, LSE and Director, LSE South Asia Centre who formally inaugurated the Summit. Mr. Shahid Hussain, the University’s Rector spoke about the critical importance of discussing Pakistan’s future while Dr. Arshad Ahmad, Vice Chancellor of LUMS noted: “Pakistan @75 brings prescient topics to modernise Pakistan and build capacity to become a powerhouse on a bold trajectory of a nation-building agenda.”

The proceedings commenced with a panel discussion on Decolonising Law for a Modern Pakistan. Dame Maura McGowan, Judge, High Court of England and Wales, explained that decolonisation is “a meaningless exercise unless we have a vision of what it would look like.” The panel commenting on the issue included Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice, Supreme Court of Pakistan, as well as law advocates Dr. Amber Darr, Ms. Sara Malkani, and Mr. Salman Akram Raja.

A second panel discussing “Can Pakistan Become South Asia’s Powerhouse?” included Dr. Ali Cheema, founding member of the Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan and Director of MHRC; Mr. Abdul Razak Dawood, Pro Chancellor, LUMS; Ms. Sania Nishtar, Public Health Advocate; Mr. Muhammad Amjad Saqib, Founder, Akhuwat Foundation, and Dr. Mariam Chughtai, Associate Dean, School of Education, LUMS.

Dr. Cheema outlined the developmental challenges and the hard constraints facing Pakistan and suggested several key drivers. Mr. Dawood said “Population and climate change are the biggest economic threats facing Pakistan, followed by the issue of energy crisis and national debt.” Dr. Sania Nishtar highlighted “If the office of the Auditor General was to be reformed, it would become a powerful engine of change for the country”. Dr. Muhammad Amjad Saqib stressed the need for comprehensive social, political, and financial inclusion of the forgotten members of society on the front lines.

The Summit concluded with the launch of the LSE South Asia Centre’s Annual Forum, with a conversation on nation-building between Syed Babar Ali OBE, Founder LUMS, businessman, philanthropist, and educationist and Dean Bhimani. According to Mr. Ali, Pakistan’s key problem is the lack of investment in education. “Give people the authority and autonomy to deliver what they are good at, not something that is out of their reach.” The Summit concluded with a note of thanks by Professor Bhimani and a promise to celebrate “Pakistan@80” in 2027.

National Incubation Centre Lahore at LUMS holds Investor Summit for its 9th Cohort of Entrepreneurs

Lahore: The National Incubation Centre Lahore (NICL) at LUMS held its capstone event – the Investor Summit, which brought together its 9th Cohort of change-driven start-ups, pitching their ventures in Agritech, Cleantech, Edtech, Healthtech, and Fintech to seasoned investors and start-up founders in Pakistan.
The Investor Summit is the culmination of a 6-month long Foundation Programme where the necessary skills and knowledge are imparted to the incubated entrepreneurs to underpin their start-ups with real-world experience.

While addressing his experience of being part of the Investor Summit, Humayun Mazhar, Founder & CEO at CresVentures, said, “The passion, the energy, and the youth excites me, and whenever I come here at NICL, I feel younger. I love the energy of this place.” Referring to NICL’s start-ups, he added, “The start-ups graduating from here are adding value in terms of employment and revenue to the national exchequer and I’d like to see them grow in the times to come.”

“I’m thoroughly impressed by the quality and variety of founders that has only grown over the last 5 cohorts which is very refreshing. That goes to show the effort that NICL is putting in and making sure that the graduating start-ups are more mature when pitching their ideas,” said Hamza Iqbal, NICL Foundation Council Member and CEO at Healthwire, while sharing his thoughts on the work NICL is doing within the start-up ecosystem of Pakistan.

The participating start-ups at the Investor Summit were (in order of presentation) SAY Global, Roshni, Janwar Mandi, Gamma Green Recycle, Raftar Technologies, Wholly Ranch, Cashmail (Pvt.) Ltd., eBilty, Print Me All, Kitchen Collabs, Darzi Cut, Zarai Zambeel, and SAFE Space, pitching to spark investors’ interest.

NICL was founded in 2018 by Ignite National Technology Fund (IGNITE) and the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MOITT), and has since graduated 152 ventures, and housed 84 female entrepreneurs in verticals of interest.

Mr. Dilawar Syed, Special Representative, US Department of State for Commercial and Business Affairs visits NICL, LUMS

Lahore: Mr. Dilawar Syed, Special Representative of the US Department of State for Commercial and Business Affairs, was hosted at the National Incubation Centre Lahore (NICL) by Mr. Shahid Hussain, Rector, LUMS, and Mr. Saleem Ahmad, Chairman Advisory Board, along with the NICL management team. He was apprised of the Centre’s pioneering role in bolstering the start-up ecosystem in the country by providing founders with training and resources to develop and scale ventures that solve Pakistan’s most pressing problems.

Mr. Ahmad’s presentation highlighted the high-impact areas for Pakistan which are the core focus for NICL including agriculture, education, environment, financial inclusion, and healthcare with an overlay of key technologies like AI/ML, blockchain, cloud/IoT, hardware/robotics, and VR/AR. He discussed Pakistan’s start-up ecosystem, the critical importance of upskilling talent, encouraging gender diversity and outreach to underserved communities in Pakistan. He spoke about the ecosystem of support through NICL’s Foundation Council comprising role model entrepreneurs and respected venture capitalists, and hundreds of mentors across the world.

Mr. Syed toured the Centre’s state-of-the-art facilities including the Makers Lab (3D printing and prototyping) and Facebook Innovation Lab and engaged with start-ups currently in incubation. He praised NICL’s efforts and said, “Wish we could do more of this in communities across this country. We’ve got to make sure that the underserved regions and the underserved communities in this amazing country have access to these kinds of facilities.” He also talked about how inspired he was by the diversity of ideas that ranged from aviation space to solving speech impediment problems.

NICL aims to inspire bootstrapping entrepreneurs to build #TechForBetter through its 6-month Incubation Programme. Successful applicants are given the platform for capacity building and scaling up their start-ups using NICL’s free resources like business skills and technical training, mentoring support from business leaders, a growth conducive co-working space at the LUMS campus, and industry networking opportunities.

With over 150 seasoned mentors, start-ups at NICL have the perfect opportunity to absorb their experience and apply it to prove their mettle. Once ready, they are given the opportunity to pitch to the 100+ investors on the Centre’s panel to take their start-ups to newer heights.

LUMS celebrates the commencement of the Class of 2022

Lahore:Convocations are an honoured tradition to celebrate graduates’ accomplishments in the presence of loved ones, peers, and teachers. On June 30, the LUMS Class of 2022, came together to look back at the precious memories they made on campus, and look forward to new beginnings.

Around 1100 graduate and undergraduate students from all five schools at LUMS were awarded degrees at the convocation. The University’s senior leadership including Pro Chancellor, Mr. Abdul Razak Dawood, Rector, Mr. Shahid Hussain, Vice Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad, Members of the LUMS Board of Trustees, Deans, faculty and staff members celebrated the momentous occasion with the graduates and their families.

Registrar, Ms. Zara Fateh Qizilbash delivered the welcome address, following which, the Pro Chancellor, Mr. Abdul Razak Dawood formally inaugurated the 34th convocation of LUMS.

Vice Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad congratulated the graduating class and wished them well for their future. He recognised the convocation as a defining moment for all students. While referring to the ongoing political uncertainty and economic challenges, he called upon all graduating students to discover their individual roles and serve a greater purpose. He also emphasised strengthening a collective hope for a better and stronger Pakistan. Towards the end, he advised all students to embrace their full potential and move forward, following in the footsteps of their predecessors while adhering to the timeless qualities of integrity, punctuality, respect, patience, and empathy.

The keynote address at this year’s commencement was delivered by the inspiring, Justice (Retd.) Nasira Iqbal. Recipient of the prestigious, Sitara-i-Imtiaz 2021, Justice Iqbal was one of the first five women to be appointed to the Lahore High Court, where she served as a justice from 1994 to 2002. A Harvard Law School graduate, she is sought after as a legal scholar, has lectured around the world and has represented Pakistan at various international forums. She lauded the efforts of the LUMS community to enable and empower Pakistani youth by providing high-quality and impactful education and training.

In her address, she wished the graduating class success and expressed the hope that they will contribute to the development of the country and create shared value for the people around them. She also urged the graduates to pursue inclusiveness as a way of tackling intolerance in society. Justice Iqbal appreciated the gender equality ratio at LUMS and quoted her own example, “There should be no age barrier to acquiring higher education and students should pursue it as the only means of achieving progress and prosperity.”

Alina Anjum, this year’s valedictorian, inspired her fellow students by sharing her experiences at LUMS and her ideals of pursuing self-belief and strengthening mutual bonds.
One of the winners of this year’s Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence, Dr. Haniya Azam, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, shared her thoughts about the enabling environment at LUMS that facilitates learning, growth and success. She also encouraged the graduates to never settle for less and strive for excellence.

Dr. Azam’s address was followed by the awarding of degrees to all graduating students, the robing of PhD graduates, and the presentation of the National Management Foundation awards and corporate medals to high-performing students.

Late Aqsa Fatima, a LUMS student who passed away in April and was to graduate this year, was awarded a posthumous MBA degree to honour her memory. Rector, Mr. Shahid Hussain, presented the degree to the parents of late Aqsa Fatima.

A recorded broadcast of the ceremony can be viewed at the LUMS Facebook page.

AACSB’s ‘Innovations That Inspire’ initiative recognizes Suleman Dawood School of Business at LUMS

Lahore: The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the world’s largest business education alliance, has featured the Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB) in its Innovations That Inspire member spotlight programme. SDSB is one of 24 business schools worldwide to receive this honourable recognition this year for its Women’s Scholarship Initiative.

The SDSB Women’s Scholarship is the first in the world to extend a 50-percent tuition waiver to any woman accepted to its graduate programs, advancing women’s access to higher education and creating transformative social impact.

Innovations That Inspire recognizes several AACSB member schools each year that are drivers of change demonstrating innovative ways to address challenges and opportunities that have a positive societal impact. This year, schools were featured based on their innovative approaches to enhancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB), a key focus of the AACSB’s accreditation standards. The innovations ranged from education programs, research, community engagement or outreach, entrepreneurship, and leadership initiatives.

Dr. Arshad Ahmad, Vice-Chancellor of LUMS commented, “This recognition by AACSB is an honour and it reflects our institutional commitment to building a diverse and inclusive community at LUMS by actively developing strong women leaders. The SDSB scholarship empowers more women to gain access to quality education and make a critical difference in our society through their leadership. My sincere hope is that this paves the way for others to do the same in Pakistan”

The Women’s Scholarship is unique because it reflects an ethos that fostering women’s leadership through world-class business education is essential to Pakistan’s growth.

Dr. Alnoor Bhimani, Honorary Dean, SDSB, said, “Women are a force for innovation, growth, and positive social change. Their engagement in business at the highest level is essential. The 50% women’s scholarship at SDSB recognises that real success for an enterprise exists only when women have the possibility to lead.”

Increasingly, the Scholarship is making an impact at LUMS and beyond. More women are studying at SDSB in generalist MBA programmes, and specialist full-time and weekend master’s degrees in Accounting and Analytics, Finance, Healthcare Management and Innovation, Supply Chain and Retail Management, Public Policy, and Technology Management and Entrepreneurship. SDSB’s graduate programmes currently comprise between 20 and 75 percent women. This is a true testament to the impact that the School is having on closing the prevalent gender gap that exists in all sectors and is a major challenge across Pakistan.

Dr. Syed Kumail Abbas Rizvi, Associate Professor, SDSB and Director, Accreditation and Quality Enhancement at LUMS added, “SDSB’s women scholarship is a powerful and far-reaching gesture by the School’s and LUMS’ leadership to acknowledge the significant role the women of our country have been playing in advancing and improving the business sector and society, by and large.”

The SDSB joins a community of over 200 business schools that have been honoured through the Innovations That Inspire initiative over the last 7 years for their work on transforming business education and creating social impact. AACSB President and CEO Caryn Beck-Dudley praised the SDSB saying, “Progress toward more welcoming, inclusive spaces requires action, and Suleman Dawood School of Business demonstrates leadership in this important effort. Through collaborations—among business schools, businesses, and communities—we will create a strong global society and equip leaders for positive impact.”

A full overview of all 24 innovative initiatives from across the world can be found on AACSB’s website.

NEPRA Chairman and its CSR award winners visit LUMS

Lahore: The Chairman, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), Mr. Tauseef H. Farooqi was recently invited to visit the LUMS campus in Lahore. He was joined by representatives from seven NEPRA licensee organisations, which have done tremendous work towards social initiatives, particularly within the areas of renewable energy.

The aim of the meeting at LUMS was to discuss avenues of collaboration with the University. The visiting organisations included K-Electric, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Engro Energy, China Power Hub Generation Company (CPHGC), Karot Power and Kot Addu Power Company (KAPCO).

Mr. Farooqi and the other visitors were welcomed by the University’s senior leadership. These included LUMS Provost, Dr. Tariq Jadoon, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Bilal Ahsan Malik and Director of Advancement, Ms. Nuzhat Kamran. Alumni and students also participated in the session.

During the welcome address by Dr. Jadoon, he praised the CSR initiatives undertaken by Mr. Farooqi in the areas of education, health, environment, and others. He congratulated Mr. Farooqi on setting up the CSR department at NEPRA in 2020 with a focus on Sustainable Development Goals. He also shared how LUMS faculty experiment with innovative instructional and learning techniques and seek to create impact through cross-disciplinary research in the areas, water informatics, energy, linguistics, and economics among several others.

This was followed by a presentation by Ms. Kamran elaborating how over the last three decades, the University has evolved into Pakistan’s leading institution with an immeasurable impact on business and society. “This has been achieved through our donors, who have supported the University’s mission of providing a world-class education to students, enabled ground-breaking research, and helped LUMS become a premier learner-centred institution,” she added.

She also highlighted the University’s commitment to inclusive education through its signature National Outreach Programme (NOP). Providing an overview of the NOP’s transformative experience for scholars from disadvantaged backgrounds, she shared the multiplier effect of this initiative as they come full circle to give back to their communities.

Dr. Malik elaborated on the support services provided to NOP scholars during their time at LUMS with regards to academic advisement. “LUMS spends considerable resources in actively finding talented students in order to give them a fair chance and a level playing field. NOP students are supported in three key areas: helping them settle in at LUMS, providing them with resources to succeed during their time at the University, and preparing them for their future careers,” he shared.

Speaking at the event, NOP alumni, Ms. Adeela Sarfraz, Class of 2009 and Mr. Hafiz Ali Naeem, Class of 2016 and CSS topper, shared their inspiring journeys at LUMS and how they went on to achieve success in their respective fields. They credited the University for providing them with the foundation for their achievements. Mr. Farooqi, a graduate of LUMS MBA Class of 1996, praised the University’s NOP scholarship as “transformative” that impacts the lives of students, their families as well as their communities. He also spoke about his own journey as a student at LUMS and discussed the various CSR initiatives undertaken by NEPRA, the most prominent of which is the ‘Power with Prosperity’ programme.

The event served to be a starting point where licensees were really excited to collaborate with LUMS.

BARD Foundation to establish Research Chairs at LUMS

Lahore: The Bilquis and Abdul Razak Dawood (BARD) Foundation has made a generous donation to establish two endowed Chairs at LUMS – the Abdul Razak Dawood Dean’s Chair at the Suleman Dawood School of Business, and the Bilquis Dawood Dean’s Chair at the Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School for Humanities and Social Sciences. These endowed Chairs will enable the Deans to expand Ph.D. scholarships, faculty fellowships and engage the two schools with industry leaders across various public and private sectors.

Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad, remarked, “We are forever grateful for a lifetime of commitment from the Dawood Family as long-time friends, custodians, and ambassadors in our joint pursuit of excellence at LUMS.” The Dawood family’s history of giving dates back to the founding of the Suleman Dawood School of Business. The BARD Foundation was also established by Mr. Abdul Razak Dawood, Pro-Chancellor for LUMS and Adviser to Prime Minister of Pakistan for Commerce and Investment, and his wife, Mrs. Bilquis Dawood. The Foundation provides access to education to Pakistani youth and supports them in a variety of ways.

Ms. Mehreen Dawood, Member of the Board of Governors of the BARD Foundation said, “We have always believed in creating opportunities for the people of Pakistan. We hope our humble contribution goes on to strengthen the University to further create value in society.” Her brother Mr. Faisal Dawood added, “It is great that I am getting the opportunity to follow the footsteps of our father to create social impact.” Similarly, Mr. Taimur Dawood added, “We look forward to serving society with the same passion as our father. Our next generation will hopefully do the same.”

Founding Pro-Chancellor, LUMS, Syed Babar Ali praised the Dawood family’s continued philanthropy. “It is wonderful to see that the next generation is taking interest and carrying forward the legacy of their father. We are truly grateful for their generosity,” he said.

To date, the Dawood family and the BARD Foundation have supported countless students, helped the LUMS Business School to excel, and sponsored infrastructure projects for housing and learning spaces on campus. They have also contributed to critical research conducted throughout LUMS that addresses some of the most complex problems in Pakistan and the region. Their support has helped the University truly embrace its philosophy of ‘Learning Without Borders’.

Members of the BARD Foundation Board of Directors made the gift official through an MOU signing with LUMS. Along with the above individuals, they were joined by Rector, Mr. Shahid Hussain, Founding Member of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Parvez Hassan, and senior LUMS faculty and staff.

Start-ups launch diverse, high-impact solutions at NICL, LUMS

At the culmination of its eighth cohort, the National Incubation Center Lahore (NICL) at LUMS held its flagship Investor Summit, bringing together seasoned investors, inspiring entrepreneurs, and corporate innovators.

“We have now graduated eight cohorts from Lahore and Quetta in a short period of time, by dynamically adapting to extraordinary circumstances, transforming our offering, and launching several new initiatives such as programmes in partnership with Saarland and Stanford,” said Saleem Ahmad, Chairman NICL and NIC Quetta. “At the Investor Summit today, I am proud to see the transformation and growth in these remarkable young entrepreneurs. Our aim at NICL is to continue supporting such talent and connecting with industry and academia to generate lasting impact,” he added.

The 13 start-ups graduating are a diverse set of high-impact ventures, including QBio, establishing Pakistan’s enzyme biotechnology company; Dawa Asaan, Pakistan’s first smart pharmacy delivering pre-sorted medicines; Peervest, a digital equity-based crowdfunding platform that connects tech-enabled start-ups with eligible investors; Loading Champions, a complete learning, coaching and recruitment solution; and Heirloom, that produces artisanal, sustainable and responsibly produced goods with elevated aesthetics. In the past, NICL’s graduating start-ups have gone on to raise funding after pitching at the Investor Summit; KalPay, a shariah-compliant BNPL service have already closed their pre-seed round via an angel investment of $100,000 and are in the process of finalising their next round of funding.

Attending the Investor Summit and offering valuable feedback were an esteemed panel of investors and entrepreneurs from across the ecosystem, including Aatif Awan (Indus Valley Capital), Badar Khushnood (P@sha), Qasif Shahid (Finja), Salman Khalid (Chogori Ventures), Ali Farid Khwaja (KTrade.pk), Omair Ansari (Abhi), Usman Javaid (Ricult Inc.), as well as Yusra Solangi (Zayn Capital) and Shakaib Naqvi (Zayn Capital). Representatives from Engro Corporation’s energy team were also present to provide perspective on sustainable solutions and corporate innovation.

Speaking at the occasion, Badar Khushnood, Chairman P@sha and member of NICL’s Foundation Council observed, “The diversity, depth and professionalism of start-ups at the Investor Summit is heartening to see. Despite challenges posited by Covid, NICL has been able to build the right pipeline of start-ups and mature it effectively. I’m delighted that each pitch I saw today, reflected the right vision, exposure and confidence.”

Start-ups presenting at the Investor Summit undergo a rigorous six-month long programme, with in-depth training in Design Thinking, Law, Strategy and Business Modelling, Market Research, Communications and Entrepreneurial Finance. In addition, they receive one-to-one mentorship from industry leaders in their domains.

The Center is now gearing up to welcome its ninth cohort, with ideas that solve problems in high-impact verticals across Pakistan. Representing fintech, Aamdani, a start-up founded by LUMS students, promotes earned wage access; Cashmail, founded to help ease chronic poverty, works on loan disbursement and recovery with the microfinance industry; whereas Zarai Zambeel provides digital financial solutions and services for farmers.

Other ideas include Gamma Green Recycle which helps recycling through cash incentives, SAY Global, that works on solving mental health and speech impediment issues, and Ebilty, which connects transporters with customers and provides end to end solutions.

Pursuing humanity: The affinity in the ideas of Bergson and Iqbal and their relevance in the 21st Century

The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in collabo-ration with the Embassy of France in Pakistan recently organized a philosophical conversation titled ‘Pursuing Humanity: The Affinity in the Ideas of Bergson and Iqbal and their Relevance in the 21st Century’.

The virtual talk was part of France’s annual ‘Night of Ideas’, an international event to celebrate the free flow of ideas and to discuss the major issues of our time. More than 100 countries will participate in the 7th Night of Ideas which will take place throughout the first half of 2022. This year’s theme ‘(Re)building together’ explores the resilience and reconstruction of societies with singular challenges, the solidarities and cooperation between individuals, groups and states, the mobilization of civil society and the challenges of building and making our objects.

Prof. Souleymane Bachir Diagne, Director of the Institute of African Studies, and Professor of French and Philosophy at Columbia University, participated as the main speaker. The conversa-tion was moderated by Dr. Basit Koshul, Associate Professor at the Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences of LUMS.

Both scholars highlighted the importance of the ideas of the French philosopher Henri Bergson (1859-1941) and Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) to respond to contemporary challenges in the world like the global rise of political populism, the polarization between and within countries, or the global environmental crisis. Prof. Diagne emphasized the influence both thinkers had on each other in creating their philosophical theories, particularly around the concepts of the indi-vidual, time, and creative evolution. Driven by the revolutionary developments in scientific thought and the socio-political changes at the beginning of the 20th century, Muhammad Iqbal and Henri Bergson were both rethinking what it means to be human in a non-human environ-ment. Prof. Diagne and Dr. Basit concluded that the interaction between Bergson and Iqbal, and beyond with Senegalese poet, philosopher and statesman, Léopold Sédar Senghor, is one of the greatest examples of philosophical encounters between thinkers from different socio-political parts of the world benefiting from each other.

The hybrid event was joined by a variety of international experts in Iqbal studies and a wider public audience both online and in the Centre for Internationalisation of LUMS.