The 27th convocation ceremony of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) was held on Wednesday, June 17, 2015. The ceremony commenced with the entrance of the academic procession at the convocation venue.
The LUMS Convocation 2015 event was a large assemblage with 869 students in the graduating class of 2015 from all four schools; Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB), Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences (MGSHSS), Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE) and Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law (SAHSOL). The management honoured its outstanding students with awards and medals over excellence in their academic performances.
The keynote speaker at the ceremony was Ms. Asma Jahangir, Advocate at the Supreme Court of Pakistan and Partner at AGHS Law Associates. Ms. Jahangir is also a Director of the AGHS Legal Aid Cell, which provides free legal assistance to the needy. She is the recipient of several international and national awards including the 2014 Right Livelihood Award, 2010 Freedom Award, the Ramon Magsayasay award, Hilal-i-Imtiaz, Sitara-i-Imtiaz, UNESCO/Bilbao Prize for the promotion of a culture of human rights and was awarded an Officier de la Légion d'honneur by France. In 2014, she was awarded the "Stefanus Prize", a human rights prize emphasising the freedom of religion or belief.
Dr. Syed Sohail Naqvi, Vice Chancellor LUMS welcomed parents, students, the LUMS management committee members, trustees and the keynote speaker, Ms. Jahangir at the convocation ceremony. In his address, he congratulated the graduating class and appreciated the ‘arduous journey that has brought them here and the grit, determination and passion that allowed them to triumph over all adversity.’ The VC asked the graduates to salute their parents as their graduation ‘would certainly not have been possible without their unwavering support, guidance, nurturing, and, of course, corrections.’ He asked the students to give a standing ovation to the LUMS faculty as they have also been instrumental in their successful academic careers. The VC also shared with the audience the achievements of the students and faculty of the four LUMS schools. He concluded by urging the graduates to ‘make a difference.’
Ms. Jahangir congratulated the class of 2015 on their graduation from LUMS and thanked the LUMS administration for inviting her to the event as ‘it is rewarding to engage with the youth of Pakistan, especially the finest minds - the LUMS graduates.’ She told the students that they are graduating from one of the most prestigious institutions of the region and said that they can change the world if they work together in groups, to build institutions that would promote sustainable change in the society. “Don’t do things in isolation. Collect people for a greater impact and learn from diverse ideas,” she said. She also stressed on the importance of human rights and tolerance. “We should live in a state free of fear and discrimination. There should be no restriction on freedom of thought, speech or religion.” She advised the young graduates, especially women ‘never to let anyone indignify you or humiliate you; stand up for yourself and for other individuals.’
The convocation celebrations started off an evening earlier, on Tuesday, June 16, 2015, with the graduate night dinner, a LUMS tradition to celebrate the academic success of the graduating class in a fun, festive gathering. Dr. Sohail Naqvi, spoke at the event and congratulated high achievers of the 2015 batch, who received recognition in form of the National Management Foundation (NMF) medals, corporate medals, and Deans’ honour list plaques.
