“Decisions determine destiny, set your targets high and then struggle to achieve them.” This is Fiaz Ahmed’s motto. Fiaz, a graduate of MS Chemistry, has received fully funded PhD admission from a number of top ranked universities in the USA. Fiaz completed his BS degree in Chemistry from the University of Education, Lahore and went on to do his MS Chemistry from LUMS in 2015, after which he joined the LUMS Department of Chemistry as a Lab Instructor.
“I had always dreamt of getting higher education from the world’s best institutes and my MS degree in Chemistry from LUMS has paved the path for this dream to become a reality. Inspired by the impressive teaching and research culture at the Chemistry department at LUMS and the placements of undergraduate Chemistry students in institutions like MIT and Princeton, I also started exploring such opportunities and now I have been offered fully funded PhD admission from a couple of top ranked universities in the USA,” shared Fiaz.
Talking about his background, Fiaz said that he was born and brought up in an underdeveloped rural area of Pakistan which lacked quality schools and higher educational institutes. “I started my educational journey from my town’s open air primary school which still does not have any boundary walls. Now I’m a part of Pakistan’s top research institute i.e., LUMS, and ready to explore the avenues of knowledge and opportunities that are largely unknown to people from my hometown.”
Fiaz recalls that during his MS studies at LUMS, it was very difficult in the beginning to keep abreast with the level and quality of education but things started falling in place gradually. He said that in his previous educational institute, he was one of the top students who did not really have to study much to be a model student. “The highly conceptual and challenging courses and the work environment at LUMS forced me to totally change my study habits to survive. It was very tough in the beginning but my hard work and commitment to excel in this highly challenging and competitive environment have finally now paid off.”
Fiaz took time off studies and worked for a year to collect fees for LUMS. He continued working part time to support his living expenses at LUMS but to his relief, his fees were reimbursed as he got a merit scholarship. Financial assistance for bright students is one of the reasons, among the many others, Fiaz encourages fellow students to apply to LUMS. “I chose LUMS due to its world-class faculty, vibrant research culture and the available research facilities that can be compared to international standards. In addition to this, LUMS is an amazing place for personal growth and every person around can teach you something new and different. I would encourage everyone especially those from a background like mine to work hard to become a part of the LUMS community. Joining LUMS may change your fate, so apply now without any further delay,” said a determined Fiaz.
