Lahore, August 19, 2022 (PPI-OT):USAID Pakistan’s Director of Education, Ms. Anne Flaker visited LUMS on August 15, 2022, to meet LUMS leadership, and have an interactive session with USAID Merit and Needs Based Scholarship Program (MNBSP) beneficiaries.
The MNBSP, in partnership with the Higher Education Commission, helps talented yet financially disadvantaged young Pakistani scholars pursue education in the country’s top universities. LUMS is one of their partner institutes and so far, more than 80 students at LUMS have benefitted through the second phase of this scheme. Ms. Flaker visited LUMS to hear the stories of alumni and students who have benefitted from the programme, and to mentor them for their future endeavours.
Also present at the event were Mr. Muhammad Azhar Ali Khan, Programme Director USAID-funded MNBSP, Ms. Aayesha Ikram, Director General HRD, Higher Education Commission, Pakistan, Mr. Saqib Ali Khan, Project Management Specialist, USAID Pakistan, and Mr. Haroon Raheem, Project Management Specialist, USAID Pakistan.
USAID has had a long-standing relationship with LUMS. The agency contributed generously during the early years of LUMS for the construction of the new campus. The MNBSP has played an integral role in supporting LUMS in its aim of making quality education attainable for talented students. Apart from this, USAID in partnership with HEC has also funded various research projects across different schools at LUMS.
Representing LUMS were Dr. Faisal Bari, Dean, School of Education, Dr. Sabieh Anwar, Dean, Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering, and Dr. Furrukh A. Khan, Director, Office of International Affairs.
The event started with a presentation by the Advancement Team which introduced LUMS, the National Outreach Programme (NOP), and the various outreach activities and initiatives taken by the NOP team.
The USAID representatives also conducted an interactive session with USAID beneficiaries, both current students as well as alumni. The students talked about their recent activities, their experiences at LUMS, and the lasting impact of the USAID scholarship that they received.
While thanking the students for sharing their stories, Ms. Flaker commented, “I appreciate the gratitude of students for USAID, and it is a small gift for us to help you and lift the weight off your shoulders. Today, I have learned that when you educate a student, you educate a whole community and I know that each of you will make a difference in the years to come. Working in the education sector, you get to see what a difference education is making in communities and countries.”
At the conclusion of the interactive session, the guests were presented with souvenirs as a token of appreciation. Following the session, the USAID representatives visited NICL. The guests were given a tour of the different facilities including state-of-the-art prototyping workshops, where virtual and augmented reality solutions come to life, and a co-working space, featuring a plug-and-play set-up. They exchanged insights with Edtech entrepreneurs from NICL’s graduated start-ups as well as those currently in incubation and participated in a roundtable discussion with the NICL team.
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