LUMS Formalises Professor Saba Mahmood Endowment to Support Graduate Scholarship
LUMS welcomed Mr. Khalid Mahmood and his family to campus as they formalised their generous support for the Professor Saba Mahmood Endowment, established in memory of the late Professor Saba Mahmood, the internationally acclaimed anthropologist and Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley.
Mr. Mahmood, Executive Chairman, Getz Pharma Pvt. Ltd., was accompanied by members of his family and received by LUMS leadership, including Founding Pro Chancellor Syed Babar Ali; Rector Mr. Shahid Hussain; Provost Dr. Tariq Jadoon; Dr. Parvez Hassan, Member, LUMS Management Committee; and former Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr. Kamran Asdar Ali. Mr. Nadeem Khalid, CEO, Herbion Pakistan, was also in attendance.
The endowment will support deserving and talented graduate scholars in the Humanities and Social Sciences at LUMS. It will also sustain the annual Saba Mahmood Graduate Student Symposium, creating a platform for research, intellectual exchange, and critical inquiry.
Speaking at the ceremony, Syed Babar Ali described the endowment as a lasting tribute to Professor Mahmood’s legacy. “There is no better tribute you can give than to keep her memory alive through an institution like LUMS,” he said. “There is no better contribution than creating an endowment for scholarship.”
Reflecting on the family’s decision, Mr. Khalid Mahmood shared why LUMS was chosen as the home for the endowment. “After much thought, I felt that LUMS was the best place for her work and this endowment to continue in a way that remains connected to Pakistan and benefits Pakistani students and scholars,” he said.
The ceremony also highlighted the importance of investing in graduate education in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Dr. Ali Cheema noted that, at a time when support for the humanities is declining globally and access to graduate study abroad is becoming increasingly difficult, the endowment creates 'a really important pathway' for future scholars and helps carry forward a legacy that has had a profound impact on the discipline.
Dr. Kamran Asdar Ali recalled Professor Mahmood's 2016 visit to campus, when she led workshops with faculty and engaged closely with the academic community, as evidence of her deep scholarly ties to LUMS. For him, this history makes the University a natural home for the endowment — both for its connection to her work and its capacity to nurture future generations of researchers in Pakistan.
Through this endowment, LUMS honours Professor Saba Mahmood’s legacy while supporting the next generation of graduate scholars in Pakistan. LUMS is deeply grateful to Mr. Khalid Mahmood and his family for their generosity, vision, and commitment to scholarship.
