The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) is a world class academic institution with a proud history of achievement, and ambitious plans for the future. The idea of establishing the university took root in the mind of Syed Babar Ali, Pro Chancellor, LUMS who is the guiding spirit behind the university. With his resilient efforts and patronage of the business community, academia and representatives of the government, started the establishment of what was to become one of the leading universities of South Asia.
With support of ten of the leading public and private sector corporations of Pakistan, the National Management Foundation (NMF), the sponsoring body of the University, was incorporated on November 7, 1984. The NMF was granted a charter by the Government of Pakistan for establishing the University on March 8, 1985. Through this charter, the University was given the legal right to establish degree-granting programmes. In addition to this, the government also granted authorisation to set up other schools under the aegis of the "Lahore University of Management Sciences".
The Board of Governors of the NMF, being the sponsors of LUMS, raise the necessary funds for the University’s operations and meet its infra-structure requirements. Consequently all land and university buildings are owned by NMF. Many members of the Board are representatives of the business community and form a crucial link between the University and the business world. The Board of Trustees, the policy-making body of the University, comprises leading members of the business community, academia and representatives of the government. The principal functions of the Board are to set broad policy guidelines and to review the operations of the University which functions on no-profit, no-loss basis.
Since its inception in 1985, LUMS has strived to achieve the aim of imparting world class education while encouraging research and intellectual growth in the country. As a result, LUMS has played a key role in setting high standards of academics and producing professionals who can compete with counterparts from any university across the world.
The LUMS Business School, now known as the Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB) opened its doors to the first batch of MBA students in 1986. The LUMS MBA programme is first rate in standards and is based on the case methodology of teaching, which is the distinctive quality of the LUMS MBA programme. Adapted from leading business schools all over the world and then customised through local cases, this methodology has produced top business graduates of the country. The first class of MBA students graduated in 1988 and was rapidly placed in national and international companies while others became successful entrepreneurs.
The BSc Honours Programme at LUMS was initiated in 1994 and in 1996, the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) was formed to administer the undergraduate programmes. The School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) initially housed the Computer Science (both BSc and MS), Economics, Social Sciences, and Mathematics majors along with the Accounting and Finance minor. Later the Accounting and Finance minor was altered into a major. In 2002, a five year, integrated, BA-LL.B degree was launched by the School of Arts and Sciences.
To counter the scope and diversity of the increased programmes and departments two schools were established at LUMS. The Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences (MGSHSS) was established to oversee the Humanities and Social Sciences, Economics and Law departments and the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE) was established to oversee the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics.
Over the years, LUMS also initiated Masters programmes in Economics, Computer Science and Computer Engineering (relaunched in 2012 as MS in Electrical Engineering). An Executive MBA programme was launched in 2002 to facilitate managers and entrepreneurs. In addition, LUMS also offers a wide array of executive courses through the Rausing Executive Development Centre (REDC), which was established in 1994 with support from the Rausing family of Sweden. Since its inception the Centre has maintained its position as one of the finest institutes offering executive education in Pakistan.
LUMS also initiated PhD programmes in Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Mathematics in line with its aim to promote research in the country. To date, 10 candidates have obtained PhD degrees in these disciplines. In 2006, a PhD in Management was added to the list of doctoral programmes at LUMS, to cater to the growing need of organisational management and operations management experts.
In 2011, two majors were introduced to the undergraduate programmes at LUMS. The School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Law added a BA History to their extensive list of majors. The Suleman Dawood School of Business started offering a BSc in Management Science to cater to the increased demand of a business major at the undergraduate level. Living up to its commitment of offering new graduate programmes, the university added new MS and PhD programmes to the portfolio of the School of Science and Engineering in 2012. New MS degree in Electrical Engineering was introduced alongwith new doctoral programmes in Biology, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, and Physics. Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law (SAHSOL) was announced which offers BA-LL.B previously offered under the Law Department.
As the years unfold, the university remains committed to offering new programmes in relevant, emerging fields for the youth of the region.