It was an evening of nostalgia but also new directions and new beginnings on Saturday, January 11, 2020 as the University welcomed back its alumni from across the country and around the world to take part in the annual Alumni Homecoming at LUMS.
As the grandest reunion of the year, Homecoming is an opportunity like none other for the alumni community to reconnect with class fellows and friends, catch up with old and new faculty, and learn about all the latest happenings at their alma mater. The alumni did just that and more at this year’s affair! The evening’s programming kicked off with a warm and welcoming address by the Founding Pro Chancellor, Syed Babar Ali, who likened his affiliation with the LUMS alumni community as that of a parent with their children and said, “You can’t imagine how happy a father would be to see his children succeed all over the world.”
Vice Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad then took the stage, and expressed his happiness at the fantastic turnout of the night. With Homecoming taking place at the start of a new year, Dr. Ahmad took the opportunity to reflect back on some of the biggest alumni achievements of the past year, and share the new directions that LUMS is taking.
“And as we think about new directions, it’s important to remind ourselves that our progress is not a natural force,” he said. “That progress comes from solving problems, from developing empathy, and from a willingness to help others.”
In an almost cosmically happy occurrence, 10 alumni embodying these very three characteristics were then acknowledged for their contributions and accomplishments. Together with the LUMS Rector, Mr. Shahid Hussain, Dr. Ahmad introduced the ten winners of the second cohort of the Vice Chancellor’s Alumni Achievement Awards, and presented them with a shield recognising the impact of their work. This year’s winners included Ahsan Rehman Sheikh (MBA 1998), Azim Rizvee (MBA 1998), Chaminda Hettiarachchi (MBA 2001), Danish Jabbar Khan (MBA 2005), Dr. Bushra Anjum (MS 2007), Khadija Shahper Bakhtiar (BSc 2007), Mansoor Hassan Siddiqui (MBA 1998), Mehreen Zahra Malik (BSc 2007), Sadia Khuram (MBA 1996), and Shayan Haider (BS 2014). Speaking on behalf of the entire cohort, Azim Rizvee and Dr. Bushra Anjum accepted the recognition from their alma mater with deep gratitude, and expressed their pride in the timeless values that LUMS stands for.
The alumni and guests were then treated to a delicious dinner of traditional cuisine and BBQ, including classic treats like gulab jamun and Kashmiri chai to complement the chilly Lahore weather. Indeed this was the perfect predecessor to the biggest attraction of the night, a dazzling music performance by the iconic band Strings. With their soulful voices and repertoire of songs from every genre, Strings took the evening by storm with their classic beats and gave the alumni a truly memorable night back at LUMS.
Such a fantastically entertaining night would not have been possible without the support of the sponsors of the event, at the fore of which stood the platinum sponsorship from PepsiCo., who not only very generously sponsored Strings, but were also the exclusive beverage partner for the evening. With Shell also joining hands as a sponsor, Homecoming was an evening of happy LUMS memories and favourite anecdotes, deep discussions and joyful conversations, and an all-around unforgettable night.
