Pakistan State Oil, Corporate Social Responsibility (PSO CSR) Trust and Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) entered into an agreement on September 27, 2018 for study sponsorship of deserving scholars inducted at LUMS through the National Outreach Programme (NOP). An agreement signing and cheque handing over ceremony between the two organisations was conducted at the Rausing Executive Development Centre (REDC), LUMS campus. The ceremony was attended by the Vice Chancellor LUMS, Dr. Arshad Ahmad, accompanied by the LUMS Development Team, while PSO CSR Trust was represented by Mr. Shahzad Safdar, GM HR/Trustee, PSO CSR Trust, Ms. Aisha Rashid, Senior Executive Corporate Communications, PSO and Ms. Rabbia Anwaar, Senior Officer, Corporate Communications, PSO.
The agreement entails the sponsorship of 6 NOP scholars by PSO CSR Trust for one year. Financially disadvantaged but academically brilliant scholars inducted at LUMS through the NOP stream from unprivileged areas of the country including KPK, Baluchistan, Gilgit Baltistan, FATA and Azad Kashmir are eligible for this scholarship.
Dr. Arshad expressed his gratitude at the occasion and thanked the PSO CSR Trust for supporting LUMS in extending the benefits of NOP to the financially challenged youth of our community. Mr. Safdar, speaking on behalf of PSO CSR Trust, briefed about his company’s strong commitment of giving back to the community and explained how Corporate Social Responsibility is entrenched in the core values of PSO. Expressing his views about NOP he said that through this programme LUMS has brought about a change not only in the lives of individuals but the whole families and communities have benefitted through this noble cause.
Possible avenues of future collaboration between PSO and LUMS were also discussed which included developing customised training programmes for PSO employees, developing a case study on progressive business model of PSO, developing some synergy in research related to chemical engineering and chemistry; establishing a chair/professorship etc. and possibility of investing in the infrastructure of LUMS.
Later, beneficiaries of the PSO scholarship also joined the guests. The freshmen told valued guests about their educational and family backgrounds, discussed their future aspirations and sought guidance about their career goals. The students thanked PSO for supporting their education at LUMS.
The ceremony concluded with Dr. Ahmad presenting the LUMS History Book to Mr. Safdar.
