On January 30, the University Advisory Board (UAB) engaged with senior management at LUMS for four days of wide-ranging discussions regarding the future direction of the University. The visit began with a campus orientation led by the Student Council President with groups of students greeting them at various locations. They also visited each School to talk with faculty, students and staff to get a sense of the opportunities and challenges facing LUMS.
Members of the Management Committee, the Vice Chancellor (VC), Deans and several faculty and staff were hosts on-campus and during the evenings the conversations continued with alumni, business and public sector leaders to deepen each other’s understanding. In his remarks, VC, Dr. Arshad Ahmad said, “We are honoured to learn from such a diverse group who have travelled far to engage in rich conversations with us. LUMS has charted a course for new directions and the UAB brings tremendous experience and wisdom. The UAB is a mirror for LUMS to see itself, sharpen its focus, and move forward."
The UAB members hold distinguished positions and bring a variety of perspectives. They were chaired by Ms. Leah Rosovsky (Harvard University) and included, Dr. Nancy J. Adler (McGill University), Dr. Philip Altbach (Babson College), Dr. Khalid Aziz (Stanford University), Dr. David Bloom (Harvard University), Ms. Denise Chalmers (University of Western Australia), Dr. Mehmood Khan (PepsiCo), Dr. Greg Moran (Academics Without Borders, Canada), Dr. Nicholas A. Robinson (Pace University) and Dr. David Wilkinson (McMaster University).
Syed Babar Ali, Founder and Patron of LUMS invited the UAB to the Mubarik Haveli, Bhati Gate, for a warm welcome dinner providing an extraordinary overview of LUMS history and gave tribute to the founding members, faculty and students for their role in not only serving LUMS but also Pakistan. Another highlight was the extraordinary presentation made by Dr. Ali Khan, Chair of Humanities and Social Sciences about the history of Pakistan through the lens of its favourite sport, Cricket.
The four-days included several productive discussions on LUMS vision, governance, leadership, programming, faculty roles and rewards, and advancement activities. Some of the common threads in these topics included an emphasis on transdisciplinary education, encouraging all Schools to work more closely together, as well as high impact activities that would make a significant difference in the lives of Pakistanis. For both LUMS and the UAB, there was much to learn from each other, and the University looks forward to hosting them next year and staying connected. On the last day, the guests enjoyed a tour of the Walled City experiencing Lahore’s cultural heritage and enjoying its indigenous cuisine.
