LUMS flagship event, the Webcast Open Day, the second of its kind in its history, held on Friday, December 2, 2016, attracted a wide spectrum of national and international audience. The senior leadership of LUMS, Prof. Dr. S. Sohail H. Naqvi, the Deans of the four Schools, Mr. Yasser Hashmi, Dean of Student Affairs and LUMS MBA alumna, Fatima Asad-Said, together, represented the University at this online engagement forum.
Dr. Naqvi addressed the youth and shared the highlights and strengths of LUMS and invited them to become a part of an unparalleled educational and life experience. Moderated by actor and director, Mr. Omair Rana, the presentation lead to a Q&A session where the online audience actively connected with the panel through the LUMS social media platforms.
Questions posted through the university's official social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter, were answered by Dr. Naqvi; Dr. Jawad Syed, Dean of Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB); Dr. Ali Khan, Acting Dean of Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences (MGSHSS); Dr. Shahid Masud, Acting Dean of Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE); Dr. Martin Lau, Dean of Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law (SAHSOL); Mr. Yasser Hashmi, Dean of Student Affairs and Ms. Asad-Said and served to be a thoroughly engaging dialogue.
While addressing the audience, Prof. Naqvi stressed that LUMS not only focuses on imparting world class education but also provides a free environment for individuals to prosper and express themselves. He elaborated that students may join a specific programme in the beginning but are later allowed to choose and take courses across all four Schools at the University. “Life at LUMS provides freedom of expression and choice. The values of merit, tolerance, and diversity are very important attributes to us as we are aiming to develop well-rounded individuals who are competent citizens of Pakistan, demonstrating excellence in all spheres of life,” emphasised Dr. Naqvi.
Speaking about career support provided by LUMS, Mr. Hashmi elaborated that LUMS graduates seeking jobs at the end of their studies are placed within 6 months of graduation. Adding to this perspective of student mentorship, Ms. Said, Regional Director, Human Capital Excellence, Abacus Consulting said that since she is now in a position where she has to seek the best human resource in Pakistan, her first choice is LUMS; not because she has a connection with the University but firstly, because of the quality of its graduates and secondly, because of the highly active recruitment efforts of the LUMS placement office that makes it so much easier for organisations to find the best fit for their recruitment needs.
The live webcast concluded with an invitation to the online viewers to join the LUMS community at their on-ground Open Days on December 3, 2016 in Islamabad (Marriott Hotel), December 4, 2016 in Karachi (Movenpick Hotel) and December 11, 2016, at the LUMS campus in Lahore.