Lahore, Pakistan: April 19, 2016 - Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) Center for Entrepreneurship entered into an agreement with Mott MacDonald Ltd. to scout and promote startup ventures building innovative products and services that can positively impact education and learning outcomes in the country.
This grant was made possible through UKAid/DFID’s ‘Ilm Ideas 2 Education Innovation Fund’ as a part of wider UKAid support to Pakistan. Cambridge Education, a part of Mott MacDonald Group, is managing the education component of this grant.
The contract was signed by Vice Chancellor of LUMS, Dr. Syed Sohail Naqvi on behalf of LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship, and Team Lead of the Ilm Ideas 2 Education Innovation Fund, Shahida Saleem on behalf of Mott MacDonald Ltd. Other people in attendance at the contract ceremony were the Executive Director of LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship, Khurram Zafar and the Center’s management team, the management team of Ilm Ideas 2 and the Grants Management Specialist of LUMS, Saad Suhail.
Recognising the need and importance of such interventions in the education sector of Pakistan, Dr. Sohail Naqvi commented that the scale of education challenges in the country requires out-of-the-box thinking and innovative solutions that young entrepreneurs and innovators can develop. He thanked both UKAid and Mott MacDonald while adding, “We are glad to play a pivotal role in identifying and supporting such disruptors and hope that LUMS can continue to do so beyond the life of this programme.”
Shahida Saleem congratulated LUMS on playing a critical role in the promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation through its Center for Entrepreneurship. She added, “We are genuinely excited about this collaboration and look forward to creating a self-sustaining community enabled to continue supporting and investing in education in Pakistan.”
The contract signing was followed by a high level discussion about next steps and project milestones. LUMS will soon be inviting innovators in the education field to address the challenges identified by the programme, pitch solutions that address these challenges and obtain support and funding through the LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship platform.
About LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship: LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship is the flagship business and social enterprise incubator of Lahore University of Management Sciences that has become the most comprehensive experiential development platform for Pakistani entrepreneurs since its founding.
About UKAid/DFID: The UKAid/Department for International Development is a United Kingdom government department responsible for administering overseas aid. The goal of the department is to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty.
About Ilm Ideas: The Pakistan Education Innovation Fund (Ilm Ideas 2), supported by DFID, provides a platform for the generation, piloting and scaling up of innovative solutions to address critical education challenges in Pakistan.
Contact: Osama Jawad +92-42-35608441 and +92-321-4647823
