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Lahore, June 27, 2023: The LUMS Class of 2023 came together to celebrate the memories they created during their time at the University. 1,453 graduates from all five schools at LUMS were awarded degrees at the Convocation in the presence of the University’s senior leadership including Founding Pro Chancellor, Syed Babar Ali; Pro Chancellor, Mr. Abdul Razak Dawood; Rector, Mr. Shahid Hussain; Vice Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad, members of the Board of Trustees; Deans; faculty, staff, and proud parents.
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Dr. Ahmad congratulated the graduating class on their accomplishments and welcomed them to a network of over 17,000 LUMS alumni across the world. He added, “Each of you carries a personal story; a story of perseverance, growth, and triumph. Students, you are the greatest treasure of this nation as you possess the power to make a lasting impact on society.”
Dr. Ahmad announced this year’s two Emeritus Professors, Dr. Abid Aman Burki and Dr. Mohamad Waseem, as well as the winners of this year’s Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence, which included Drs. Adeel Tariq, Amir Faisal, Ghazal Mir Zulfiqar, Zafar Ayub Qazi, and Mr. Muhammad Usama Waheed. LUMS also awarded medals to its best male and female athletes, Khanzada Ashhad Ali Khan and Inara Kaneez. A posthumous degree was awarded to Ms. Amna Khan, from the MS Business and Public Policy programme.
This year’s Valedictorian, Muhammad Abdullah Nisar, a graduate of the Department of Electrical Engineering, reflected on the opportunities LUMS provided him. Applauding his class, he said, “This has been a very steadfast and adaptive batch. Your freshman spring saw COVID-19. Your senior spring saw unrest in the country. Yet, you all achieved exceptional milestones. Therefore, you and your families, indeed the whole country, should be proud.”
Mr. Mudassir Sheikha, a Stanford alum, and CEO and Co-Founder of Careem, delivered this year’s keynote address. In 2012, Mr. Sheikha co-founded Careem, which is one of the world’s leading technology platforms, operating in more than 98 cities, with over 1,400 employees and more than 2 million captains.
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Offering the graduates sage advice, Mr. Sheikha said, “I would like to leave you with three learnings that I wish I had learned earlier in life. First, aim really high, much higher than you think is realistic or achievable. My second lesson is to work hard. Regardless of what you want to achieve in life, whether it is professional growth, social impact, or a successful family, you will have to work really hard for it. My third and final lesson is to find your personal purpose.”
On this high note, the students bid farewell to their home for several years and looked expectantly to the exciting future that awaits them.
The ceremony can be viewed online at the LUMS Facebook page.