Hailing from a small village called Bhir Dargahi in Taxila, Mubashar Saleem had the ambition, but not the means, to pursue a higher education degree at a reputable institution. In his own words, “Growing up in a one income household with four siblings, where my father was a government employee and my mother a house wife, aspiring to attend a prestigious university like LUMS was certainly a dream.”
However, it was after a college visit by the National Outreach Programme (NOP) team that Saleem heard of LUMS and applied for the NOP. His time at LUMS during the NOP Coaching Session solidified his perception of LUMS as the place where he could grow as a person and professional.
One of Saleem’s dreams is to make “the world a better and more equitable place” which is why after being selected as an NOP Scholar and getting admission to LUMS he chose to join the Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB) and major in Accounting and Finance. Speaking of his experience at LUMS, Saleem says, “I went from being very shy, pessimistic, nervous and rigid to an organised, optimistic, persistent and flexible person fueled by passion and idealism.”
It was this idealism and drive that motivated Saleem to apply for the FH Joanneum Exchange Programme and the Ernst Mach Grant. After a rigorous selection process and various application procedures, Saleem and five other students were selected for the Exchange Programme and have received the grant.
Under this Programme, the selected students will get an opportunity to study at FHJ, Austria for the Fall Semester (September 2019 - January 2020) and/or the Spring Semester (February 2020 - June 2020). The generous grant provides for all living and travel costs. In the eight years since the inception of this exchange programme, 43 students from LUMS have qualified for the prestigious Ernst Mach Grant to study at FHJ.
Speaking of his expectation from the Exchange Programme, Saleem says, “The Global Business Program – GBP for which I have been selected offers a great opportunity to interact with the people from different cultural backgrounds. It makes me excited to know that I will be with people from thirty different countries.
I am positive that the exchange programme at FH Joanneum will allow me to attain the skill set which is required to become a dynamic leader. I am thankful to LUMS for giving me this opportunity and selecting me as its representative.”
