LUMS held its 31st Convocation ceremony on Sunday, June 30, 2019. With 1034 students receiving degrees, this was the University’s largest Convocation ceremony, to date. Dr. Sania Nishtar, Prime Minister of Pakistan’s special assistant and Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, was the chief guest at the ceremony.
The ceremony had students along with their parents, faculty, and staff from each school gather to commemorate the achievements of the Class of 2019. The celebrations started traditionally with the entrance of the academic procession at the commencement venue. The procession included faculty from all five schools - Suleman Dawood School of Business, Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Syed Babar Ali School of Science & Engineering, Shaikh Ahmed Hassan School of Law, and Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education.
Addressing the ceremony, Dr. Sania Nishtar said, "Today marks your entry into the practical world. If you want me to summarise it in a nutshell, there are three attributes that you learn over the years which are absolutely critical for success and fulfilment in your practical life. Those attributes are humility, integrity and purposeful learning. Agility is important, so if you combine humility with integrity and the commitment to learn and then adapt accordingly, your chances of success and fulfilment are much higher in practical life.”
"If you develop the ability to let go of your ego when it’s time to take decisions in professional life, then the likelihood of delivering better on your aspiration will be much higher," added Dr. Nishtar.
Speaking to the graduating class of 2019, Dr. Arshad Ahmad, Vice Chancellor LUMS said, “What you studied and practiced at LUMS came with hard and fast rules of the game, the dos and don’ts. Your teachers had defined the boundaries and your staff supported your efforts. The next chapter in your life will treat you on its own terms. When the sun comes up tomorrow, some skills will be tested soon and some later. It is my suggestion you find meaning, not in your profession but in your purpose." He further added, “The corollary is that there is only one thing in life that you should do in excess and that thing is intentional, purposeful learning. I am sure you will step into the world as ambassadors of learning, and as ambassadors of Pakistan."
The vibrant convocation ceremony was preceded by the Graduate Night, celebrated on Saturday, June 29, 2019. The year’s high achievers and winners of the National Management Foundation (NMF) Awards, corporate medals, and those placed on the Dean’s Honour List were recognised and honoured at the event.
A significant sign of progress in terms of women leaders in the management industry was that the NMF medals for the Management Science, MBA and EMBA programmes were all bagged by women. The night concluded with a sumptuous dinner and engaging musical performances by LUMS students.
