USAID Scholarship Beneficiaries at LUMS Share Inspiring Stories in Interactive Session
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LUMS collaborated with the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan, and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to host an interactive session with students, under the umbrella of the USAID-funded Merit and Needs-Based Scholarship Programme (MNBSP). The session provided an engaging platform for LUMS National Outreach Programme (NOP) summer coaching session beneficiaries, sponsored by USAID, to share their inspiring stories with distinguished guests. Through this programme, female NOP students from Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Sindh, and Southern Punjab have been sponsored by USAID- MNBSP to study at LUMS.
The MNBSP initiative, in partnership with HEC, helps talented yet financially disadvantaged young Pakistani scholars to pursue education in the country's top universities. LUMS is one of their partner institutions and many students at LUMS have benefitted through this scheme.
Present at the event were Ms. Aayesha Ikram, Director General Scholarships, Higher Education Commission, Pakistan, and Mr. Muhammad Azhar Ali Khan, Programme Director, MNBSP. They were welcomed by LUMS leadership, including Mr. Mohammad Ali Khan, Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives, Ms. Nuzhat Kamran, Director, Advancement, Ms. Rabia Ahmad, Director Admissions, and Ms. Shandana Mehdi, Administrator NOP Centre. Students shared their remarkable journeys and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of the summer coaching session at LUMS. Their stories epitomised the power of education in transforming lives and uplifting communities. At the end of this enlightening event, the students were presented with congratulatory certificates.
While thanking the NOP scholars for sharing their stories, Ms. Ikram commented, “We are delighted and humbled by our experience in interacting with these exceptional students through the MNBSP. Over the past 19 years, this scholarship programme has been a beacon of hope for disadvantaged students, fulfilling its mission to support brilliant and academically gifted individuals who face financial barriers to pursuing higher education.”
She further stated, “The premise for establishing the MNBSP was to break down the financial obstacles that prevent talented young minds from realising their full potential. Witnessing the achievements and determination of these students reinforces our belief in the transformative power of education. Moreover, it fills us with immense pride to witness how girls, hailing from less developed areas, are defying the odds through their perseverance and dedication, and proving that talent knows no boundaries.”
LUMS and USAID share a longstanding relationship that has significantly contributed to the growth and development of the university. USAID's generous contributions during LUMS's early years played a pivotal role in constructing the new campus. The MNBSP has played an integral role in supporting LUMS to make quality education attainable for talented students. Furthermore, USAID, in collaboration with HEC, has also supported various research projects across different schools at LUMS.
