The vibrant and active UAE alumni community came together for an interactive meet-up with the LUMS Vice Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad on Monday, March 4, 2019 at the Rove Hotel in Dubai.
This was the UAE alumni community’s first interaction with the new Vice Chancellor and spirits were high. There was a buzz of excitement in the air as the evening commenced and alumni made brief introductions about themselves and their career paths after LUMS. Dr. Ahmad also introduced himself to the audience, walking the alumni through his career in academia and beyond, and sharing details about his work prior to joining LUMS.
The alumni were also keen to learn about the developments underway at their alma mater and thus appreciated it when the Vice Chancellor provided them with an overview of the University’s newest undertakings, including the 5-year strategic plan that LUMS will be moving forward with.
In detailing the various aspects of these new directions for LUMS, Dr. Ahmad outlined some of the key objectives of the 5-year plan, which included focusing on innovation and leadership through teaching and research, and working towards making LUMS a model University in the region. The alumni also gained insights into how this plan will be implemented as Dr. Ahmad explained the five cornerstones of the new LUMS vision; strategy, operations, curricula, fundraising and branding. Lively discussions about this new era for LUMS, including the University’s new advancement function also ensued, with the alumni asking plenty of questions and sharing valuable feedback.
As the evening drew to a close, Dr. Ahmad encouraged the alumni to list down three ways in which they could contribute to their alma mater and then advised the UAE Chapter to identify common denominators from the alumni’s input to work on a strategic plan to give back to LUMS as it moves forward.
Interacting with the Vice Chancellor over such an engaging and lively dinner was a rewarding experience for the alumni, and would not have been possible without the efforts of the incredibly supportive UAE Chapter heads. The get-together ended with the alumni posing for a photo with Dr. Ahmad and pledging to stay involved through future LUMS initiatives.
