Tag: (LUMS)

Lahore, January 03, 2023 (PPI-OT):The first day of “Pathways to Development: Equitable and Sustainable Growth in Pakistan” saw prominent academics, researchers, social scientists, practitioners, policymakers, politicians, and great minds from the Pakistani diaspora gather at LUMS to discuss issues vital to sustainable development in Pakistan.

The conference was organised jointly by the Chaudhry Nazar Muhammad Department of Economics and the Mahboob ul Haq Research Centre at LUMS, the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives (IDEAS), the Institute of Development Studies at University of Sussex (IDS), and Consortium for Development Policy Research (CDPR), International Growth Centre, and Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan (CERP).

Rector, LUMS, Mr. Shahid Hussain, formally inaugurated the conference and expressed great pride in the University for being the frontrunner in furthering dialogue for development. He said, “The role of any academic institution is to nurture an environment where people with curious minds can pursue their goals. Higher education has a huge role to play in exchange of new ideas and research. For that reason, we are proud to be hosting this conference this year.”

The inauguration session included participation from Mr. Mueen Afzal Chairperson of the Board of Director from Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives, Mr. Maroof A. Syed, President and CEO of Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan and Ms. Shandana Khan Mohmand, Cluster leader and Research Fellow at Institute of Development Studies.

With an exceptional speaker line-up, the theme for day one revolved around how Pakistan can become more growth and export-oriented. The programme began with a well-attended panel discussion on macro stability and growth in Pakistan, featuring, Dr. Hafeez Pasha, renowned economist; Mr. Mohsin Khan, Advisor to the Board of Director, IDEAS;

Mr. Murtaza Syed, Deputy Governor, State Bank of Pakistan, and Ms. Aliya Khan, Former Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Quaid-e-Azam University. The session was moderated by Mr. Ijaz Nabi, Pakistan Country Director International Growth Centre. Pressing issues like inflation, foreign exchange reserves and taxation in Pakistan, were highlighted.

The sessions featuring Justice Mr. Athar Minallah and Mr. Gonzalo Varela, senior economist at the World Bank, focused on the failings, lessons and challenges of the justice system as well as export and innovation challenges in Pakistan.

The subsequent plenary session with Ms. Ghazala Mansuri, Lead Economist, Poverty Reduction and Equity Group, World Bank and Mr. Imran Rasool, Professor of Economics, University College London, shed light on climate change, building resilience and the importance, challenges, and future of agribusiness.

Day one concluded with a much-awaited panel discussion on fostering inclusive development with Dr. Sania Nishtar, Senator; and Dr. Miftah Ismail, former Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Government of Pakistan. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Ali Hasnain, Associate Professor of Economics, and LUMS.

The speakers discussed the gender and geographic inequities in the country, factors leading to impaired inclusive growth, lack of public policy measures rooted in law, and transparency of an audit entity as the pathway to accountability.

Conference Day 2 involved several sessions discussing issues of critical importance for sustainable development in Pakistan. These included teachers, systems and human capital, population challenges, gender and labour markets, reforming energy for development, universities, development and building back better and institutional frictions, climate, and the rural economy.

Some notable speakers from this day included Dr. Attiya Inayat ullah, President Emeritus FPAPAK and Former Federal Minister for Population Welfare, Govt. of Pakistan, who addressed the population challenge in Pakistan and Mr. Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht, Former Minister of Finance Punjab, MPA who chaired the session on institutional frictions, climate, and the rural economy.

While talking about Gender and Labour Market, Dr. Hadia Majid, Assistant Professor at the Department of Economics, talked about gender discrimination in an online marketplace, “We are trying to figure out whether women who come as buyers in the online marketplace face any discrimination.”

Dr. Leonard Wantchenkon, Professor of Political Economy Princeton University, and Dr. Shandana Khan Mohmand, Research Fellow IDS University of Sussex, had a discussion on “Political Distortions, Institutional Experimentation and Development”. Dr Leonard explained, “For institutions to deliver good policies, we need inclusive and open institutions with an orientation towards common goals, deliberation about means to achieve goals and joint ownership of decisions”.

With this conference, the audience had the opportunity to hear from renowned specialists from several fields, as they presented their most recent research on growth and development in Pakistan over 20 riveting sessions. Such initiatives help start meaningful conversations towards building the foundation of a growth-oriented and sustainable Pakistan.

For more information, contact:
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
D.H.A. Lahore Cantt. 54792
Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-35608000
Fax: +92-42-35725048
Website: www.lums.edu.pk

Lahore, January 01, 2023 (PPI-OT):Experts from the energy sector joined the LUMS community for a panel discussion, ‘Radical Solutions to the Grand National Challenge’ on December 14, 2022. The session was organised by the LUMS Energy Institute (LEI) in collaboration with the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI).

The esteemed panel included Shaheryar Omer, CEO, Petroleum Institute of Pakistan; Naz Khan, Strategic Division Head, K-Electric and Dr. Fiaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Director, LEI. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Naveed Arshad, Founding Member, LEI and Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering, LUMS.

The session was an interesting discussion on pertinent matters related to energy including the rising electricity prices in the country, how good management can solve energy issues, the reasons for fossil fuel imports amounting to $26 billion and the depletion of indigenous energy resources discovered in the country.

Mr. Omer explained how the energy demands of the country are being met by importing fossil fuels and that with the growing economy, the demand for fuels is also increasing, adding to an already high cost due to the inflated price of the dollar.

Ms. Khan shared the problems faced by K-Electric and said that although the organisation is privatized, it still has to face a lot of regulations and therefore, it can’t set its tariff. “Despite many regulatory challenges, the company has improved its customer service, reduced losses by half and improved bill recovery since its privatisation.

K-Electric is planning on adding renewables up to 30% of its power generation mix by 2030,” she shared. She added that nearly all the public distribution companies (DISCOs) are incurring losses because of poor governance and recovery mechanism and therefore, investors are reluctant to invest in them.

Dr. Chaudhry explained that excess installed capacity is the driving factor behind the growing circular debt in the power sector. “We have failed to increase our base load in the last two decades as the industry hasn’t shown any growth and our base load has increased from 7000 MW to 8000 MW only,” he shared.

To cater to the energy challenges faced by Pakistan, Dr. Chaudhry recommended that there should be a two-part tariff for the consumers. “One tariff should be related to the capacity payment and the other one should be related to energy payments. The refinery policy also needs to be updated,” he added.

The panel recommended that there is a dire need to discover more oil reserves, move towards renewables, and convert gas-based appliances to electric ones. Ms. Khan stressed that the demand side management should be focused upon to decrease the peak load. “Measures like energy-efficient housing, and high-rise buildings can lower the peak demand,” she said.

The panel also took questions from the audience and answered many relevant concerns about imported gas and its high prices, the need to build houses that are insulated to counter extreme cold and hot weather, and how doing our part in energy conservation is of utmost importance right now.

For more information, contact:
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
D.H.A. Lahore Cantt. 54792
Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-35608000
Fax: +92-42-35725048
Website: www.lums.edu.pk

Lahore, December 29, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Pepsi Dining Centre is getting a makeover! PepsiCo has extended its support to LUMS by agreeing to fund the redesigning and renovation of the entire dining area and upgrading it to a contemporary and practical space, aligned with the PepsiCo and LUMS brands.

To formalise the agreement, a MoU signing ceremony was held at the University on December 16, 2022. Signatories included Dr. Arshad Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, LUMS, and Mr. Abdul Latif, CEO, Lotte Akhtar Beverages Pvt. Ltd., the execution arm for the initiative. Mr. Khurram Shahzad, CFO PepsiCo was also present at the event.

Syed Babar Ali, Founding Pro Chancellor, LUMS welcomed the guests and shared anecdotes about the history of LUMS. Ms. Nuzhat Kamran, Director of Advancement, briefed the guests about the latest initiatives at LUMS and talked about the elaborate multi-disciplinary research being conducted at the University and its impact on the country.

Mr. Shahzad spoke about PepsiCo’s relationship with the University. “I treasure our strategic partnership with LUMS over the decades and this agreement is another milestone in continuing our legacy by supporting a world-class institution. The Pepsi Dining Centre is one of the most cherished spots on campus and we are excited to see our plans to embed our PEP+ sustainability vision into the new design of the facility come to life.”

The renovation entails a total revamp of the Pepsi Dining Centre (PDC) premises; the refurbished facility will serve different varieties of food and accommodate at least 660 students, a 37.5% increase in capacity.

The aim of the entire project is to have international standard recreational spaces that comfortably accommodate the growing population of the University and facilitate learning and meaningful engagement within the LUMS community.

Syed Babar Ali complimented the organisation and said, “PepsiCo is a long-standing friend of LUMS; PDC has been facilitating faculty, students, staff, alumni as well as other members of the University community over the last so many years.”

Inaugurated in 1995, the PDC was later extended in 2000 to accommodate the growing needs of the University. In 2006-08, once again, renovation of the facility took place through the support of PepsiCo, leading to an increased capacity accommodating a total of 480 students. Between 2016 and 2020, PepsiCo also donated towards the modernisation of kitchen equipment.

Dr. Ahmad also addressed the gathering and appreciated PepsiCo’s support towards LUMS. “There is an old saying that ‘the way to a man’s heart is through the stomach’; so I have to say that the way to 5,000 students’ hearts at LUMS is through the Pepsi Dining Centre.

When you think about the diversity on our campus, of course, the first thing you think about is the students’ well-being. Pepsi has a very special place in our hearts. Thank you very much for your generous support and your ongoing commitment to LUMS.”

For more information, contact:
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
D.H.A. Lahore Cantt. 54792
Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-35608000
Fax: +92-42-35725048
Website: www.lums.edu.pk

Lahore, December 27, 2022 (PPI-OT):Filmmaker Saim Sadiq’s (BSc ’14) career has been nothing short of remarkable, as he has represented Pakistan on multiple international platforms over the years. A graduate of the Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences at LUMS, he also holds a graduate degree in Film Directing from Columbia University. Sadiq was recently awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Alumni Achievement Award (VC AAA) at the Alumni Homecoming for his outstanding achievements and for making Pakistan proud.

In 2019, Sadiq’s short film, Darling, won the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film at the 76th Venice Film Festival and was also an official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival 2019. Moreover, his short film, Nice Talking to You was an official selection at South by Southwest 2019, and Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films 2019. The film also made the British Academy Film Awards Shortlist for Best Student Film.

His latest venture, Joyland has been shortlisted by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the 95th Academy Awards; the first Pakistani film to have made the cut. The film has been selected in the ‘International Feature Film’ category. The movie has also won the Jury Award in Un Certain Regard section as well at the 75th Cannes Film Festival 2022. Sadiq has created a niche for himself, and that is what sets him apart. We wish him all the best for his future endeavours!

For more information, contact:
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
D.H.A. Lahore Cantt. 54792
Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-35608000
Fax: +92-42-35725048
Website: www.lums.edu.pk

Lahore, December 23, 2022 (PPI-OT):It was an evening of nostalgia and celebration as LUMS welcomed back its alumni from around the world at the annual Homecoming on December 17, 2022. Classmates could be seen reconnecting with each other, recalling their time spent at LUMS, sharing updates about their lives, and making new memories to cherish.

The evening began with a video on the University’s major highlights, including the international accolades and recognition it has garnered. These include being ranked the 50th in the ‘World’s Best Small Universities’ by Times Higher Education 2021, as well as the three awards by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education based in Washington.

Rector, Mr. Shahid Hussain, welcoming the alumni, spoke about the importance of maintaining a connection with one’s alma mater, “It is always a pleasure to interact with you and find out more about your success and your progress. The connection between you and LUMS is strong, but it needs to be continuously strengthened through your support.”

Vice Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad, said that the 17,000 alumni spread across the world are the University’s ambassadors. “I have heartfelt appreciation and admiration for the work that you do and the standards that you keep on raising higher,” he said.

Lauding the generosity of the alumni towards giving back to LUMS, especially to the Give a Day to LUMS campaign, Ms. Nuzhat Kamran, Director of Advancement, said, “Through your support, we were able to fund the education of many students and transforming the lives of those coming from disadvantaged backgrounds,” she said.

Founding Pro Chancellor, Syed Babar Ali also interacted with the alumni and welcomed them back to their home, “The future of LUMS is in your hands. You must come forward, give us new ideas, and support us so that students who have the ability to get into LUMS but do not have the resources to pay the tuition fees and living expenses, you have to support LUMS in continuing its journey of creating new opportunities and successes.”

The Vice Chancellor’s Alumni Achievement Awards (VC AAA) winners were also announced. This year’s cohort includes alumni who have made a mark in academia, are leading global organisations, spearheading social change in Pakistan, and making LUMS proud on an international scale. The evening ended with a charged performance by the ultimate bhangra band, UK Sahara. The evening was made possible due to the support of generous sponsors, PepsiCo, and Lahore Smart City.

For more information, contact:
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
D.H.A. Lahore Cantt. 54792
Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-35608000
Fax: +92-42-35725048
Website: www.lums.edu.pk

Lahore, December 22, 2022 (PPI-OT):A lively Christmas celebration was organised by the Office of Human Resources at LUMS, on December 16, 2022. The event was held in collaboration with the Office of Accessibility and Inclusion (OAI), Office of International Affairs (OIA), Centre for Business and Society (CBS), Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB) and Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences (MGSHSS).

The festivities were held outside the Executive Dining Hall and all staff members were invited to join in the celebration. Attendees were welcomed by the HR Office staff and Faisal Kheiri, Director HR. The event included fun activities and games; an exciting ‘Pass the Pillow’ game and a quiz, based on questions related to Christmas and interesting facts about LUMS and Lahore were played. The winners were presented with gift hampers.

Representatives from The Salvation Army Pakistan, Col. MacDonald Chandi, Col. Diana MacDonald, Lt. Col. Safdar Iqbal and Lt. Col. Asia Safdar also attended the celebration. Lt. Col. Iqbal and Col. MacDonald shared an inspiring message on the true essence of Christmas, inter-faith harmony and togetherness.

Dr. Alnoor Bhimani, Honorary Dean, Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB) also addressed the gathering and highlighted the importance of getting together and celebrating with Christian colleagues by appreciating their services and dedication towards LUMS. He also presented certificates of recognition to guests from The Salvation Army Pakistan.

This was followed by performances including a Christmas carol by Pepsi Dining Centre staff member, Ashraf Emmanuel and songs by Zeeshan Khalid, and Sinan Rajput. After a cake-cutting ceremony, a hi-tea was arranged by the Pepsi Dining Centre. The event concluded with a spirit of celebration and unity.

For more information, contact:
Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)
D.H.A. Lahore Cantt. 54792
Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-35608000
Fax: +92-42-35725048
Website: www.lums.edu.pk