The annual Bay Area Alumni Reunion was held on the evening of Saturday, 13 July, 2019 at Los Altos Youth Center in Los Altos, California.
The event was graciously hosted by Sophia Khawaja (BSc 1998), President of the Bay Area Chapter, as well as Sanam Humayun (BSc 2005) and Arfah Saeed (BSc 2012). It was organised in honour of LUMS Founder and Patron, Syed Babar Ali, who is always very keen to meet with the alumni community around the world. The reunion was also attended by distinguished guests, Dr. Khalid Aziz, Dr. Wasim Azhar, Dr. Shahab Baqai, and Mr. Idris Kothari.
With a fabulous turnout of over 50 attendees, the alumni had a fantastic time catching up with each other and hearing about the developments underway at LUMS. Syed Babar Ali inspired the alumni with his words when he gave a brief address at the gathering, shedding light on the progress LUMS has made over the years. He shared that Mr. Khalid Aziz helped setup the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE) 15 years ago, and that Mr. Idris Kothari manages the Friends of LUMS (FOL) fund. Talking about the latest addition at LUMS, the Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education (SOE), he expressed that SOE will make a significant contribution to the improvement of education in Pakistan, not only in academics but also in helping produce leaders who formulate policies and curricula.
Syed Babar Ali shared that presently, the total LUMS student body is about 5000 strong, out of which 4000 are undergraduate students and 1000 are in graduate school. While elaborating on the triumphs and successes of the LUMS alumni community, he shared that the highest number of Fulbright scholarships are awarded to LUMS graduates; more than any other institution in Pakistan. In fact, thirty percent of LUMS graduates are admitted on full scholarships to top universities in the US. Given that this year, 1100 students are joining LUMS from 140 different cities and towns in Pakistan, Syed Babar Ali encouraged the alumni to donate to the National Outreach Programme (NOP) and emphasised the importance of giving back to their alma mater so that the education of talented and deserving students can be sponsored.
The alumni enjoyed a delicious potluck dinner and dessert as they socialised with each other, and relished the opportunity to connect with their LUMS family again.
