Alumni Stories
Our diverse global network of distinguished alumni continue to make their mark in a variety of fields. Meet some of our notable alumni and find how LUMS paved the path for their success.
LUMS Graduate Honoured with Sitara-i-Imtiaz for Contribution to Polio Eradication
Ayesha Raza Farooq
MBA 1995
Ms. Farooq, a member of the Senate of Pakistan, was the architect for Pakistan’s polio eradication from 2013-2018. The success of the programme was astounding: at the end of her tenure, the number of reported cases fell to 3 from 306. As a result, she was awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s third highest civilian honour.
“My training in LUMS was instrumental in aiding both my professional and personal life. Respect for diversity, teamwork, perseverance and time management are all values and skills that I acquired and honed while at LUMS.”
LUMS Alumna Awarded Prestigious Chevening Scholarship
Hadiya Aziz
BA-LL.B 2011
After graduating from LUMS, Ms. Aziz trained for three years in litigation, and then went on to establish her own legal practice. During her vibrant legal career, she handled constitutional, civil, commercial and family matters and worked as a State Counsel and criminal prosecutor at the Islamabad High Court, while also running her independent practice. She has recently been awarded the Chevening Scholarship – a selective and prestigious scholarship that is part of the UK government’s international awards.
“The five years that I spent at LUMS completing my BA-LL.B. helped form the basic foundation that was the underlying structure of all my subsequent accomplishments in life. The LUMS experience did not only prepare me academically but also groomed me as a person in all spheres of life. Being a LUMS graduate was my first identity that I carried with me while stepping out in the professional world. I believe that LUMS instilled in me a strength of character, willpower and vision which helped shape all my future endeavours.”
The Journey From LUMS to Lights, Camera, Action!
Shazia Ali Khan
MBA 1998
Ms. Khan is the writer and director of the globally acclaimed Pakistani film, Pinky Memsaab. After completing her MBA, she worked in brand management at Unilever where she had to work closely with ad agencies to develop television commercials. That experience introduced her to the world of cameras, and she realised her passion for filmmaking. She then went on to film school in London to purse this dream.
“Producing a film is no different from any start-up venture and the skills you learn at LUMS can help you chart the way. The LUMS experience was nothing any of us were prepared for. It was liberating, uplifting, and empowering. It gave us wings to soar and yet took us down a peg or two (especially the ones who thought they were the next best thing since sliced bread). But more than anything, it gave us a fraternity and a sense of security that will last a lifetime.”
Fostering Transformational Impact Through Investment
Saleem Ahmad
MBA 1996
Mr. Ahmad is a globally recognised finance professional with a distinguished hedge fund, private equity, venture capital and investment banking career spanning over two decades. He's currently a Managing Director at JPMorgan’s multi-billion dollar hedge fund business, Highbridge Capital, where he manages a global investment portfolio. He has structured Shariah-compliant financings for Pakistan's critical infrastructure projects, and restructured Pakistan’s sovereign debt. Additionally, he pioneered a microfinance programme as an extension of the research done at LUMS and Grameen Bank.
“LUMS is great at selecting and building a great community and instilling it with values that foster a natural and longstanding affinity. Any opportunity to remain connected, and to serve and benefit from this great community, is an invaluable privilege.”
From Alumni to Faculty
Dr. Ihsan Ayyub Qazi
BSc 2005
Dr. Qazi is a rising star in the world of research and academia for computer networks and distributed systems, with a special interest in ICT for developing regions. In 2018, he won the highly prestigious and competitive Google Faculty Research Award for a proposal on designing technologies for making the Web faster for the next billion Internet users in developing countries. Driven by the belief that this research can have a profound socio-economic impact on how users in the developing world experience the Web, Dr. Qazi has presented his work at multiple workshops and seminars around the world from MIT, Harvard, Stanford to Facebook, Google, and Microsoft Research.
“I have had a long relationship with LUMS, first as an undergraduate student and then as a faculty member. When I was a student, I loved the environment here and I think that has to do with its people. LUMS has this amazing environment where you have such a lot of diversity, not just in terms of students and faculty, but also diversity of ideas that are respected and nurtured. You experience this amazing freedom at LUMS, which I would argue is quite rare in a region like Pakistan, so it’s the essence of this culture here at LUMS that I love and that made me come back.”
Championing Women’s Rights and Equality
Danish Jabbar Khan
MBA 2005
Mr. Khan is a social entrepreneur who works with women in rural communities in order to build their confidence so they can participate in local decision-making and carve connections with relevant urban markets. As CEO of Kaarvan, he believes that the representation and participation of women will pave the path for a culture of peace in the country. To date, Kaarvan has touched the lives of more than 25,000 women in over 1,000 villages across Pakistan. Honouring his contribution towards gender equality, The International Alliance for Women recognised him as a Champion of Women Economic Empowerment and bestowed him the World of Difference Award for 2019.
“I consider my time at LUMS as the key that unlocked my potential. LUMS provided a diametrically opposite experience, one that is deeply rooted in practicality. It’s the ‘outward looking approach’ developed at LUMS that fuelled the social activist in me, a mind set that has helped me throughout in my journey. It is my time at LUMS that strengthened my belief that the most in need of help and care are those who are at the bottom of this very competitive world. It is my experience at LUMS that taught me how to make the dream a reality.”