The National Outreach Programme (NOP) at LUMS is a prestigious scholarship that aims to educate brilliant individuals from underprivileged backgrounds from across Pakistan. As part of the programme, the NOP outreach team visits different areas in Pakistan to seek out talented students. During an outreach visit to Azad Kashmir from September 23–25, 2019, the team visited 8 colleges and held information sessions with approximately 600 students.
Scenic rivers, serene valleys and lush foliage is what characterises one of the northernmost provinces of Pakistan – Azad Kashmir. However, it is not just natural beauty that makes this province so special, but also the high literacy rate and talented students that reside within. The outreach team kept Muzaffarabad as its base and traversed to Bagh and Rawalakot.
Despite the prevailing political situation, the morale of the students was extremely high, with many eager to learn about the opportunities offered by LUMS. After a detailed presentation on the Undergraduate programme offerings at the University, an overview of the process of applying to the NOP Summer Coaching Session was given, followed by Q&A sessions where students obtained more information on the application process, as well as LUMS as a whole.
The feedback received from educators was very positive. Azhar Shah, Principal of the Chinar Degree College Bagh, praised the unique opportunity offered by the LUMS NOP for talented yet underprivileged students. Dr. Nasir Ali, Head Lecturer at the Read Foundation College of Science, Muzaffarabad, remarked positively at the information session held and commented that it would greatly benefit the students of his college.
