Reunions are always nostalgic and exciting affairs, add to that an important milestone and the day is bound to be extremely special. The Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB) Luminites Association’s Annual Reunion, held this Saturday, December 29, 2018, was momentous as it marked SDSB alumni’s three-decade long journey with LUMS.
The alumni gathered at the University’s Library Lawn on the beautiful sunny day to meet up with fellow Luminites. The event was hosted by graduates, Anwar Kabir and Sidra Faiz, VP and Council Member of the SDSB Luminites Association, respectively. The reunion commenced with Majid Munir, President SDSB Luminites Association sharing the initiatives that the Association has pioneered, focusing on giving back to the University and the communtiy at large. Nuzhat Kamran, Director, Office of Advancement later emphasised how alumni support is key for the development of the University.
Ahsan Rehman Sheikh, Association Board Member, introduced ‘myLUMS’, a mobile app, he has developed. The app will allow SDSB alumni to search and connect with each other. It will also later be used to connect alumni from the other Schools of LUMS.
The two keynote speakers for the afternoon, Ali Naqvi, CEO Aletheia Capital, and Furqan Syed, VP and GM Pakistan at PepsiCo., both LUMS alumni shared personal anecdotes of their time at LUMS and talked about how the University has been at the forefront of thought leadership in the country. Mr. Syed, who was also awarded the Pride of LUMS Award appreciated how the University has grown through the years. “Today LUMS is not just about an MBA; it now offers a wide choice of programmes through its five Schools so it has evolved tremendously. It is by far the best institution that one can join in Pakistan and is at par with global standards. I feel so proud to be associated with this institute for 30 years,” he said.
Soon after, the esteemed founder of LUMS, Syed Babar Ali, was invited to say a few words. He said that the LUMS brand owes its success to the graduates of the first four batches that went into the job market and set a standard that the coming graduates have maintained.
Twenty-three distinguished alumni from all walks of life who have done exceptional work in their respective fields were also honoured by the SDSB Luminites Association.
No event is complete without great food. The Association treated the alumni to scrumptious desi cuisine and Kashmiri chai, over which the alumni and faculty had hearty conversations and rekindled old friendships. The afternoon gathering continued with yet another treat as ‘Xarb’, a popular band wowed everyone with their soulful performance.
Kamran Majeed, BSc Accounting and Finance 2012 shared that it was great coming over to the campus and a pleasure connecting with the LUMS community.
It was an afternoon of reminiscing, reconnecting and reflecting on the old times; it was clear that even though everyone had travelled far in their personal and professional journeys, LUMS was still an integral part of their lives.
