The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) hosted its flagship event, the Lahore Open Day 2018 on Sunday, November 18, 2018. The event met with an overwhelming response and many aspiring students along with their parents filled the campus with their reverberating energies.
Provided with an open to all platform, prospective applicants, their parents and counsellors from numerous backgrounds, schools and universities availed the opportunity to interact with the faculty, staff and alumni and got comprehensive insights to the undergraduate, graduate and PhD programmes offered at the University. Moreover, students with their respective interests attended specific programme information sessions that provided them awareness about the Schools, degrees, campus life and facilities and answered many of their queries. Several fun activities were also part of the Open Day 2018 programme including, an exclusive food street, faculty-student bonding, one-on-one interaction with graduates at the programme sessions and a media wall.
“LUMS is an exceptionally happening place and events like this Open Day offers applicants like me to get to know about admissions, the life, the campus as well as several opportunities at the University,” shared a participant at the Lahore Open Day.
The event opened with graduate and post graduate sessions and presentations on the MS, PhD, MBA and EMBA programmes. A large number of attendees filled the auditoriums and showed a lot of interest and eagerness in learning about the programme details. The second half was occupied by the Undergraduate programme sessions along with the MPhil in Education Leadership and Management programme presentations.
The MS and PhD Science and Engineering session was conducted by Dr. Tariq Jadoon, Chair, Department of Electrical Engineering at the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE) while the MS Economics presentation was given by Dr. Abid Burki, Chair, Department of Economics, Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences (MGSHSS). The MBA session was conducted by Dr. Bushra Naqvi, Programme Direcctor, MBA programme and the EMBA session by Mr. Asad Alam, Programme Director, EMBA. The sessions were influential in their own unique ways and applicants gained useful insights from them.
The MPhil in Education Leadership and Management information session was led by Dr. Tahir Andrabi, Dean SOE, while the panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Mariam Chughtai, Associate Dean. The panel also included Dr. Andrabi, Dr. Faisal Bari, Director Academics, Dr. Tayyaba Tamim, Associate Professor, Dr. Qaisar Khan, Assistant Professor, Mehreen Noon, Director Teaching and Learning Initiative and Sarah Mahmood, Manager Marketing and Admissions. Detailed information was provided by the panel members about the MPhil ELM programme, including curriculum structure, the practicum, admission process, selection criteria, the student life at LUMS SOE, and career prospects after the MPhil degree.
Dr. Arshad Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, LUMS opened all the undergraduate sessions. He welcomed the audience and answered questions with fervour. He urged the young audience to fuel their curiosity as that will lead them to pursue their passion of gaining knowledge. Everyone appreciated the positivity that he displayed while opening these sessions. "Seeing LUMS is believing and cannot be experienced online or through a brochure. Open Day is a significant milestone for students and parents who make choices based on their interactions with faculty, staff and administration. That interaction is critical in making the LUMS ethos visible through a memorable Open Day experience. I was extremely impressed by our staff who worked tirelessly to organise a rich array of activities that made this event a success and by the turnout which speaks to the wide spectrum of academic and co-curricular choices available at LUMS," he said.
Addressing the audience during the SBASSE Undergraduate session, Dr. Shahid Masud, Dean SBASSE said, "LUMS shapes its programmes in such a way that it becomes convenient for students to work across diverse disciplines with a flexible approach. It is our priority that we support numerous doors to be opened to our students. These include student exchange programmes in many renowned universities overseas for international exposure and cultural richness.”
Dr. Syed Aun Raza, Programme Director Undergraduate Programmes, Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB) addressing the audience said, "We want our students to get equipped with leadership qualities, technical expertise, and interpersonal skills. We teach with flexibility and adaptability, we educate cooperation and coordination, we promote research and expect students to excel beyond existing knowledge while breaking the barriers to move ahead."
Speaking about the diverse career choices a Social Sciences and Humanities student has, Dr. Kamran Asdar Ali, Dean, MGSHSS said that the School offers numerous subjects in different disciplines that cater to diverse students’ preferences in terms of subjects, choices and professions. Ultimately, this prepares graduates for wider, multidisciplinary challenges, placements and tasks he explained.
The Open Day 2018 provided the guests comprehensive insight into academics, extra-curricular activities and diverse opportunities that they can avail at LUMS. Moreover, all the members including deans, faculty, alumni and representatives from the admission’s office, financial aid and marketing and communications offered full support and individual counselling to all the prospective students.
The event wrapped up on positive vibes and the future applicants went back in high spirits and positive energy hoping to gain admission to LUMS.
