LUMS VC Adil Najam meets Google Chairman Eric Schmidt
June 16, 2012
During his short visit to Pakistan (June 14-15, 2012), the Executive Chairman of Google Inc., Eric Schmidt met with a cross-section of thought-leaders in Pakistan, including the Vice Chancellor of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Dr. Adil Najam. The meeting was part of a dinner hosted by Google in Islamabad on June 14 which was attended by Dr. Najam and other notable Pakistanis who apprised the Google Chairman of the technology and business landscape in Pakistan.
Google is one of the largest, most recognised, and most influential technology companies in the world. With revenues of around US$ 38 billion and annual profits of nearly US$ 10 billion it is a conglomerate of technology services, best known as for its internet search dominance and the android operating system. Eric Schmidt, after a long and illustrious career in software companies, became the Chairman and CEO of Google in 2001 and was named the Executive Chairman in 2011.
During his recent visit to Pakistan, Eric Schmidt and the Google delegation met with the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and other government officials. In addition, a select group of Pakistani thought-leaders were invited to dinner with the Google Executive Chairman to discuss national, regional and global trends in technology, development and world affairs. Dr. Najam, who is also a widely published scholar of global affairs and long-range policy trends met the Google Chairman as part of this group.
During the meeting, the LUMS Vice Chancellor introduced LUMS and the LUMS Initiative on Internet and Society to the Google Executive Chairman. A number of activities and projects under this initiative are supported by Google, especially including the Technology for People Initiative and the Internet and Law project. Dr. Najam discussed the larger trends in technology and especially internet technologies in Pakistan and argued that there was a great deal of positive energy and a drive for entrepreneurship amongst the young in Pakistan. He highlighted the great potential for positive economic and social change in Pakistan through harnessing this potential.
Google is one of the largest, most recognised, and most influential technology companies in the world. With revenues of around US$ 38 billion and annual profits of nearly US$ 10 billion it is a conglomerate of technology services, best known as for its internet search dominance and the android operating system. Eric Schmidt, after a long and illustrious career in software companies, became the Chairman and CEO of Google in 2001 and was named the Executive Chairman in 2011.
During his recent visit to Pakistan, Eric Schmidt and the Google delegation met with the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and other government officials. In addition, a select group of Pakistani thought-leaders were invited to dinner with the Google Executive Chairman to discuss national, regional and global trends in technology, development and world affairs. Dr. Najam, who is also a widely published scholar of global affairs and long-range policy trends met the Google Chairman as part of this group.
During the meeting, the LUMS Vice Chancellor introduced LUMS and the LUMS Initiative on Internet and Society to the Google Executive Chairman. A number of activities and projects under this initiative are supported by Google, especially including the Technology for People Initiative and the Internet and Law project. Dr. Najam discussed the larger trends in technology and especially internet technologies in Pakistan and argued that there was a great deal of positive energy and a drive for entrepreneurship amongst the young in Pakistan. He highlighted the great potential for positive economic and social change in Pakistan through harnessing this potential.
Also present at the meeting was LUMS Professor Umar Saif, currently on leave and heading the Punjab Information Technology Board. Dr. Saif who has been a LUMS student and now a member of the Computer Science faculty stressed that young Pakistani students are full of potential and are taking to new technologies not only as users but as developers. He pointed out the importance of considering technology in context. As an example of the potential and talent of Pakistanis in information technology, Prof. Saif also discussed some of the research he had undertaken at LUMS along with LUMS students.
Others at the meeting also pointed out the positive potential of new technologies in Pakistan. Those at the meeting included Hussain Dawood, Mian Mansha, Amin Hashwani, Wahaj Siraj, Mosharraf Zaidi, Haris Nadeem, Jehan Ara, Sana Saleem, Mussarat Misbah, and Badar Khushnood.
