Further solidifying their commitment to the LUMS cause of making world-class education accessible to all, Mr. Gohar Ejaz, Chief Executive Officer, along with Mr. Jawed Iqbal, Chairman of The Lake City Holdings made a generous contribution to the National Outreach Programme (NOP) scholarship fund at a ceremony held on August 20, 2019.
Mr. Ejaz handed over a cheque worth PKR 20 million to the Vice Chancellor LUMS, Dr. Arshad Ahmad. The amount was pledged to fund 20 students of the NOP, a prestigious scholarship at LUMS that provides full tuition and board expenses on a need-blind, merit basis. So far, more than 1,100 students from over 77 cities from across Pakistan have become part of the Programme.
At the cheque handing over ceremony, Dr. Ahmad, spoke about the tremendous impact giving can have on a society. “To continue achieving transformation for our young, we must strive to create an inclusive space where no child is left behind. The African proverb it takes a village to raise a child sounds clichéd but rings true for LUMS that is a living, learning ecosystem which welcomes youth from all parts of Pakistan and cultivates in them values that promote a clear moral compass, generosity to nurture friendships and a greater purpose to serve others.
“Mr. Ejaz has graciously decided to continue his support, reiterating his confidence and faith in the potential of not just the students, but also in LUMS. His total donated amount of PKR 40 million will not just pay for the expenses of these 20 NOP scholars, but also exhibits his unwavering belief in their abilities. This must be celebrated for it has impacted them on an intrinsic level and empowered them to dream bigger than before.”
Mr. Ejaz also spoke about the remarkable impact that education has created in Pakistan. He stressed on the need of having universities like LUMS, which promote growth of the economy, and reiterated that Pakistan’s youth can progress if they are educated according to international standards. He said, “We are investing to educate the youth of Pakistan. This is the best investment Lake City Holdings can make.”
An introduction to LUMS was also given at the ceremony by Ms. Minhal Sheikh, Deputy Manager Marketing, followed by a short presentation on the NOP. Towards the end of the ceremony, Dr. Ahmad handed over souvenirs as a token of appreciation to the CEO and the Chairman of The Lake City Holdings.
Others present at the ceremony included Mr. Mian Ahsan, CEO US Apparel; Mr. Shah Faisal Afridi, Chairman Ruba SEZ Group and Haier Pakistan; Mr. Anwaar Ghani, Director Ghani Glass; Mr. Shahid Abdullah, CEO Sapphire Group and Mr. Talat Mahmood, CEO Orient Electronics.
The LUMS team also included Dr. Shahid Masud, Dean, Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering; Dr. Kamran Asdar, Interim Provost, LUMS and Dean, Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences; Dr. Adnan Khan, Dean, Office of Student Affairs; Mr. Zunair Zafar, Chief Financial Officer; Ms. Nuzhat Kamran, Director, Office of Advancement and the donor relations team.
