Being anticipated as the largest convocation in the history of the institute with more than 700 students graduating, the Lahore University of Management and Sciences (LUMS) will be hosting its 24th convocation later this week.
Students of all three schools at LUMS; Suleman Dawood School of Business, School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law and the School of Science and Engineering, will be graduating on Saturday at the ceremony expected to be held on June 23.
Javaria Najeeb, deputy manager at the LUMS resource development and alumni affairs, told The Express Tribune that as many as 734 students will be graduating at the convocation this year which is the largest graduating batch at LUMS.
“The convocation is expected to be a grand affair this year. Arrangements for an audience of between 2,500 and 3,000 are being made,” she said.
Parents will join their parents and other dignataries at the event, she said.
Najeeb said that LUMS is looking forward to its first graduating batch from the School of Science and Engineering (SSE), which started its programme in 2008. The highlight of the convocation is expected to be the keynote speech by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, the Oscar award winning documentary filmmaker.
Chinoy is expected to share her experiences with graduating students on the acclaim she received for her documentary Saving Face.
Najeeb said that LUMS had been in contact with Chinoy for over two months regarding her participation as keynote speaker at the 2012 convocation.
Scheduled to be held at the Sports Complex at LUMS, the convocation will also include other guest speakers, the list of which has not yet been disclosed to the media. A graduate dinner will also be held at the LUMS premises a day prior to the convocation.
Speaking to the Tribune, LUMS vice chancellor Dr Adil Najam said, “Let’s not forget this is also my first convocation at LUMS.”
Dr Najam joined LUMS as vice chancellor in 2011. He said that he was “truly excited” about the event. He said that inviting Chinoy to speak at the convocation was an attempt to bring forward a “young and positive” face of Pakistan.
LUMS is honoured to be hosting Chinoy at the convocation, he said.
“Sharmeen represents not just positivity but also possibilities, which the youth can take inspiration from,” he said.
She seems quite excited about coming, Dr Najam said.
“She’s been tweeting about it,” he said, “so we are hoping she is as excited as we are to have her.”
Published In The Express Tribune, June 20th, 2012.
COMMENTS (27)
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@ faraz,Muhammad, Fazl
i think whenever people criticize lums one of their major concern is about class system. thats y apart from fee waiver, scholarship and stipend which assist students in their studies, there are lot of social problems do exist. students have difficulties to intermingle with fellows belong to rich families. more over facing difficulties in social events, day to day interaction, differences in religious and moral values etc.
LUMS...I am coming to get my degree
@Wowemkay: Mr.! Convocation at any university is always expected after the last semester of the graduating batch. If you follow fall-fall academic pattern, then it would be in summers. Secondly, the venue is "air-conditioned" sports complex, not the lawns. easy hojaen :)
@faraz
Lets leave it here. I can only invite you to LUMS to witness it! I am no evil genius and I told you I have seen dozens of students like me coming to LUMS from very modest backgrounds (actually they have something in them called perseverance, courage and potential to excel - if we don't develop these qualities, we are just not good enough). As for the so called language gap, if we can post statuses on Facebook regularly, our English is good enough to survive in LUMS (pun intended). A student can surely work on their English just by reading Harry Potter series!! And if they can't work on their deficiencies, they simply don't want a better future. And if you don't want something, maybe you don't justify your right to have it (in a stronger tone, maybe you don't deserve it). On a different note, please have a look at the LUMS test samples on their website, its not actually THAT difficult. If a university is teaching business classes, then it does not mean it is a business itself too (actually LUMS suffer heavy losses each year and still the admin has courage to keep the financial aid program running - but why would you believe me!!!). I know current situation in country is too pessimistic and initiatives like LUMS National Outreach Program seem like publicity stunt (or whatever you want to call it) etc. But its true. And it IS for ordinary folks. And I am not stretching it. Give LUMS admission test a try. Again, if a person cannot prepare for SAT exam and complain about it being difficult without even having a look at it, they just don't meet the merit! You have to compete and make yourself stand out (some people call it competition). Yes, LUMS gives generous scholarships, but people from humble backgrounds who made it to LUMS actually worked very hard to get in. Without hardwork, you cant do it.
I will close the discussion on my end by requesting you to have a look at the video above posted by Abdus Samad just once without any prejudice or bias. No offense intended, but closing your mind won't help you out of ignorance. Just overlooking the opportunity and complaining about non-issues won't get you anywhere.
Peace
@MHZ
When did I question its high standards? I am just saying that it’s not for the ordinary folks
ahhh i wish u read my comment carefully ; where did i say that SNGPL is pvt ?? khair leave it i dont think anyone needs to justify how good lums is .... rankings and job market and our PhDs speak for themselves
@Abdul Samad, What do you mean by so-called Urdu medium schools? They are Urdu medium! LCAT is similar to SAT. Well I won’t believe what defies common sense. Business is carried out to earn profits. What’s wrong in serving the elite class and earning profits? If you want to feel good by believing that LUMS is involved in great humanitarian work; then I am not stopping you. But few believe these claims. What about SNGPL donation? Why didn’t SNGPL donate to government universities? Can you rationally explain it?
@ Muhammad Well you must be some genius who had no problem in learning English in few months. But a language barrier is a well-recognized phenomenon and symbolizes and augments the class differences in the society. Well at least LUMS is not a hope for the society. Seriously, you are it stretching it too much. Its first and foremost a business organization.
I second Abdus Samad and Muhammad.
@faraz
People with Metric/FSC background can apply to LUMS too. And there is no SAT etc required for LUMS admission (its just for the foreign applicants). And the LUMS admission test is designed such that nobody gets undue benefit for their O/A-Levels background. I myself am from a lower middle class family and I have seen dozens of other students from lower middle class come to LUMS on need-based scholarships. I have a simple Urdu Medium background and I studied in a government school with an annual fee of 900 rupees (I could not afford a private school). But I got admitted into LUMS (my Urdu Medium background did not hurt me!) and my financial problems were taken care of by National Outreach Program. I was even granted a stipend of Rs. 28000/- per semester to pay for my food etc. Now I am in the graduating batch of LUMS and I am fully committed to helping out LUMS and the National Outreach Program in any way I can. Trust me my friend, LUMS is not for people from rich background only. And such institutes are the last hope for a nation like ours which have one of the lowest educational budgets in the world. So lets not be prejudiced and praise the few who are doing good for the welfare of the nation.
@faraz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JZOfiZNrw0 for all those who need to know about this initiative that this great university has taken up. Please get your facts straight before you start commenting on anything that you hardly know a thing about.
@faraz you depict our typical Pakistani mindset. Without ever being to LUMS or attending a class there you've made these intelligent conclusions. Let me help you get your facts straight. 1) In my classes I've had people from your so called "urdu-medium" school. As for you SAT/GMAT point goes, in order to get Admission in LUMS, you need to pass the LCAT. For students who qualify on national outreach program, they are trained by LUMS for a period of time before they appear for this LCAT. 2) as for your point about NOP program benefiting the rich, come to lums and ill be your host. You can then see for your self the diversity this great university offers.
Why can't we in Pakistan appreciate something good that happens in this country. Had this been happening outside Pakistan you would have been citing it as an example for Pakistani universities to follow. Please for once change this attitude.
Even for those of us who have never been to LUMS, this institution is an inspiration and ever since Adil Najam became its vice chancellor it has gone to greater heights. The choice of Sharmeen Chinoy is great just like the choice of Adil Najam to become vice chancellor was great.
The greatest institute on the planet.
@Fazl
Well do you think some poor student who studied in Urdu medium school or some average English medium school can pass the SAT/GMAT exam? How can a poor student compete with students who belong to elite institutions? Poor students can’t even afford A/O level fee. This outreach program is for the upper middle class
Do you know about Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited’s 100 million rupee donation for LUMS?
I concur with Fazl. I myself am the beneficiary of LUMS Scholarship program. I was awarded a full scholarship to pursue the MBA program at LUMS
@faraz & @singer
Let me clarify that LUMS is the only institution in Pakistan where a student belonging to any background (ranging from lowest income-level group to the richest) can come and study. If you have got admission in LUMS on the merit-basis, it is a promise made by LUMS that your financial constraints will not come in your way to get higher education. There are almost 10% of the current LUMS students who have been awarded National Outreach Program Scholarship and they don't pay a single penny, and are provided free hostel accommodation and even living and book allowance, total of worth around Rs. 2 million. There are more than 50% students at LUMS who are getting financial aid ranging from 20% to 100% Scholarship.
I would advise you that instead of having the prejudice, try, apply in LUMS, get the admission, and if you cannot afford, you will be awarded the full scholarship. And dont write comments without any sound information.
Also, you can always check HEC website for the rankings. For the past many years, LUMS has secured first place in Business schools ranking in Pakistan.
It should be noted that LUMS gives Scholarship and Financial aid to deserving student >ONCE THEY GET ADMITTED.
I think this fact should be appreciate, as i was one who got bestowed with the both scholarship and financial aid in order to complete the studies at LUMS.
So saying that the institution stand for rich people may be far from fact. Ofcourse it need rich people to pay the bills .
There is very tough competition for admission among the very few who can pay 0.5 million annual fee
"Parents will join their parents and other dignataries at the event, she said." Get it together Express. Graduates/Students will join their parents..
@above Its LUMSnot LUNS
@Anum: Please correct spellings of 'LUMS' in your comment :)
@Singer, It seems like LUMS had rejected to admit you at some point, hence the acrimony. Bless you.
LUMS is truly the pride of Pakistan. And their choice of Sharmeen Chinoy Pakistan's Oscar winner is really refreshing. In the culture of 'chief guests' chosen for their positioon only here is someone chosen truly for her achievement.
Let me also congratulate Dr Adil Najam who as VC has really made LUNS a hub of activity and excitement. Wish this country had a few more like him.
We are all very excited, in fact just waiting to melt away in the oppressive heat! Trust a management development institution to lose all semblance of common sense and have this ceremony in June when they used to have a truly enjoyable for all convocation in the cooler month of December....the milling of parents, students, and faculty on the lawns always made it a memorable affair.
LUMS is a third class university which is no where to be seen in any ranking. Its only famous in Pakistan because of the people who pay high fees.