Alvi advises graduates to give back to society

LAHORE: LUMS hosted an online convocation to honour the Class of 2021, the other day. According to a press release, the ceremony was streamed via Facebook Live. President and Chancellor, LUMS, Dr Arif Alvi, joined the University’s senior leadership, including Founding Pro-Chancellor, Syed Babar Ali; Rector, Shahid Hussain; Pro-Chancellor, Abdul Razak Dawood and Vice-Chancellor, Dr Arshad Ahmad to congratulate 1,281 graduating students.

The keynote speaker at the ceremony was Ms Faiza J. Saeed, Presiding Partner at the prestigious USA law firm, Cravath, Swaine & Moore in the USA who delivered an inspiring address to the graduates.

Dr Alvi praised the graduating class for their perseverance and urged them to serve their community while they pursue their careers. “I encourage all the graduates today to start giving back to society; by the knowledge you have gained here and through your active involvement in each sector of the economy for the country’s holistic growth,” he said. He also appreciated the university’s role in facilitating the nation’s progress, and referred to it as an “icon of merit”, whose principles can become a guiding light for other educational institutions.

Dr Alvi also acknowledged LUMS’ funding initiatives to support bright students, including those from remote areas of the country, to provide access to quality education. Founding Pro-Chancellor, Syed Babar Ali wished all graduating students the best of luck and encouraged them to keep supporting their alma mater as a way of giving back to the society, Pro-Chancellor Abdul Razak Dawood encouraged the graduates to cherish the values that they gained at LUMS, and not only work for their own success but also for the progress of their fellow citizens.

“Our hopes are that you will always follow the hard work you have learnt at LUMS to face the challenges that come your way and during the whole process, please do not forget your alma mater,” he said.

Dr Arshad Ahmad congratulated the graduates for their achievements. The winners of the inaugural VC’s Awards for Teaching Excellence were also recognised. Dr Zubair Khalid, Dr Ali Raza, Ms Angbeen Mirza, Dr Muhammad Tariq and Dr Momin Ayub Uppal, received the award for their contributions to significantly enhance the quality of their students’ learning experiences.

Additionally, for the first time in LUMS’ history, six faculty members were honoured with the title of Professor Emeritus: Dr Ehsan Ul Haque, Dr Syed Zahoor Hassan, Dr Jamshed Hasan Khan, Dr Anjum Nasim, Dr Arif Zaman and Dr Anwar Khurshid.