The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) has won the National Medal of Innovation in the Most Innovative University category at National Innovation Awards for developing an innovative model for University based incubation exemplified by LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship, now called National Incubation Center Lahore (NIC). The announcement was made at Pakistan Innovation Forum’s (PIF) Annual Conference – The Pakistan Innovation Forum 2017 on December 7, 2017 at Marriott, Karachi.
On achieving this incredible milestone, Mr. Khurram Zafar, Executive Director LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship commented, “It's a very proud day for the University, the team of NIC Lahore, and the management of LUMS. Thank you Prof. Dr. S. Sohail H. Naqvi (Vice Chancellor LUMS) for your leadership and unwavering support. Osama Jawad, Asma Abbas Mirza, Asma Owais, Wajeeha Sabir, Michelle Altmash, Salwa Akhtar, Muhammad Jazil and numerous interns of LCE: you rock! My sincere gratitude for all the hard work you have poured into NIC Lahore. All the mentors of LCE (especially Shahid Khan, Almas Hyder, Imtiaz Khalid, Rafiq Jaffer and Uzair Ahson), the Foundation Council, and most importantly the amazing entrepreneurs of LCE: you are the real winners of this award. LCE is just a platform that brings all of you together to do your magic. Lastly, my partner in crime and the new Executive Director of NIC Lahore, Faisal Sherjan: thanks for bringing all the youthful energy, years of wisdom and unrelenting belief in the youth and future of Pakistan to NIC Lahore and making it bigger and better and finally deserving of this recognition. All power to you for infecting the rest of Pakistan with what we have got going at LCE. Pakistan Innovation Foundation - PIF, Dr. Athar Osama and the rest of the PIF team, thank you very much for this recognition and endorsing the work we are doing at LUMS."
Pakistan Innovation Forum is Pakistan’s first and only Conference, Showcase and Awards, that is dedicated to promote and celebrate innovation within corporate Pakistan and the broader Pakistani Society. The Forum is now in its 4th year. This year it brought together some of the leading policymakers, opinion leaders, champions and evangelists, investors, innovators, and entrepreneurs to shape the narrative around innovation in Pakistan. This year’s conference was themed around #Reinvent Pakistan – an exploration of these diverse changes within Government, Business, and Society with potentially radical and transformative effects.
As with previous years, the Conference also featured an Innovation Showcase focusing on innovative displays of technological innovation and entrepreneurship suited to Pakistan’s needs as well as the 3rd Annual National Innovation Awards. The event provided a wonderful opportunity to support innovation in Pakistan and to advance this important agenda forward.
