LAHORE: As many as 1,453 graduates were awarded degrees at the convocation of the Lahore University of Management and Sciences (Lums) on Tuesday.

A large number of students, Founding Pro Chancellor Syed Babar Ali, Pro Chancellor Abdul Razak Dawood, Rector Shahid Husain, Vice Chancellor Dr Arshad Ahmad, members of the board of trustees, deans, faculty, staff and parents attended the ceremony.

Dr Ahmad said each of the graduates was carrying a personal story of perseverance, growth and triumph. “Students are the greatest treasure of this nation for having power to make a lasting impact on society.”

He congratulated the graduating class on their accomplishments and welcomed them to a network of over 17,000 Lums alumni across the world.

He announced this year’s two Emeritus Professors, Dr Abid Aman Burki and Dr Mohamad Waseem, as well as the winners of Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence, which included Drs. Adeel Tariq, Amir Faisal, Ghazal Mir Zulfiqar, Zafar Ayub Qazi and Muhammad Usama Waheed.

Lums also awarded medals to its best male and female athletes, Khanzada Ashhad Ali Khan and Inara Kaneez. A posthumous degree was awarded to Ms. Amna Khan, from the MS Business and Public Policy programme. This year’s Valedictorian, Abdullah Nisar, a graduate of the Department of Electrical Engineering, reflected on the opportunities Lums provided him. Applauding his class, he said, “This has been a very steadfast and adaptive batch. Your freshman spring saw Covid-19. Your senior spring saw unrest in the country. Yet, you all achieved exceptional milestones. Therefore, you and your families, indeed the whole country, should be proud.”

Mr Mudassir Sheikha, a Stanford alum, delivered this year’s keynote address. In 2012, Mr Sheikha co-founded Careem, which is one of the world’s leading technology platforms, operating in more than 98 cities, with over 1,400 employees and more than 2 million captains.

Mr. Sheikha said, “I would like to leave you with three learnings that I wish I had learned earlier in life. First, aim really high, much higher than you think is realistic or achievable. My second lesson is to work hard. Regardless of what you want to achieve in life, whether it is professional growth, social impact, or a successful family, you will have to work really hard for it. My third and final lesson is to find your personal purpose.”

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2023