Six bright undergraduate students from LUMS have qualified for an exchange semester at FH Joanneum University (FHJ) in Graz, Austria under the LUMS-FHJ Student Exchange Programme. Under this programme, the 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 International Office at Student Support Services, LUMS executed the selection process for the Programme. All applications were carefully assessed based on a written statement of purpose, academic standing, proven leadership qualities and one-on-one discussions with students shortlisted for interviews by an assigned panel that consisted of Dr. Muhammad Usman, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics; Ms. Bushra Sajjad, Senior Manager, Office of the Registrar and Mr. Mazhar Mohsin Chinoy, Director, Student Support Services.
These students then applied for and were awarded the Ernst Mach Grant, offered by the Austrian Ministry of Science and Research that enables full funding for exchange students from non-European countries to study in a full-time programme at an Austrian University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule) for five months. 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.
Expressing his excitement on his selection for the exchange programme, Syed Abid Qadri said, “Not only has LUMS provided me with a high quality of education but has also given me countless opportunities to redefine, explore, and evaluate my true self. It is through the support I have received from my University that I have gotten the chance to go to Graz, Austria. I am excited that I will have the chance to study courses such as Economics of the European Union, International Finance, Internationalisation of Finance in Emerging Markets, Chinese Business and Management etc. and that too at FH Joanneum University in Austria. It is a source of utmost pleasure for me to represent my university, culture, and country at a foreign location. I am sure this trip will be something to cherish and will be incredibly valuable for my dream of strengthening and strategising the financial and social sector of Pakistan!”
Bareha Abbas, another student selected for the Programme also expressed her gratitude to LUMS for the opportunity. “LUMS has played a pivotal role in my selection. Had I not been made aware of the opportunity, I would have never been selected. I am ecstatic about the prospect of studying in Austria. Once I graduate from LUMS, I plan to pursue a graduate degree in International Relations, followed by which I aspire to become a diplomat. I am positive that a study abroad experience will go a long way in helping me in my endeavours,” she said.
