Economics Department at LUMS Named After Late Chaudhry Nazar Muhammad
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The family of the late Chaudhry Nazar Muhammad made a generous donation towards the advancement of the Department of Economics at the Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences (MGSHSS), LUMS. To acknowledge the contribution, a naming ceremony was held on December 5, 2020 attended by his family including his sons, Mr. Shahid Hussain, Chairman Shahid Hussain Foundation and Rector, LUMS; Mr. Zahid Hussain, Chairman, Borjan (Pvt.) Ltd.
Mr. Muhammad, one of the founding members of the National Management Foundation, the sponsoring body of the University, played a pivotal role in the establishment of LUMS. He was one of the earliest believers in the University’s mission of making high quality education accessible to all. He was not only an exceptional leader and businessperson, but also a philanthropist who was an inspiration to many.
He co-founded Service Industries Ltd. and Service Sales Corporation (Pvt.) Ltd. that became a household brand and the largest shoe retail network in Pakistan. His philanthropic pursuits include creating the Businessman Hospital Trust, and supporting the Shalamar Institute of Health Sciences. He also served as the President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
The Department of Economics at LUMS is the largest in Pakistan, with 21 PhD faculty members and 14 Adjunct faculty members and teaching fellows, who have graduated from renowned international institutions. The naming ceremony was also attended by Pro Chancellor, Mr. Abdul Razak Dawood; Vice Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad; Provost, Dr. Farhat Haq, and the senior management of the University.
Dr. Arshad Ahmad expressed his thoughts about Chaudhry Nazar Muhammad and LUMS in the following words, “Chaudhry Nazar Muhammad’s life story is a story of success and inspiration for the LUMS community, especially those who are from humble beginnings. That success is the remarkable story of LUMS as well, which has become a comprehensive University, pioneering research and offering a life-changing experience to thousands of our graduates. The living proof of that can be found in our 14,000 alumni, spread all over the world, in positions of great responsibility in bringing great credit to this institution. LUMS is evolving through its current efforts to integrate without borders, and to transcend disciplinary geographic and socio-economic barriers to make education the most powerful source of nation building.”
Mr. Shahid Hussain spoke about his motivation for contributing to the further development of the Department of Economics in his father’s memory. “Education was very close to my late father, Chaudhry Nazar Muhammad. His life story ties in well with the National Outreach Programme at LUMS, our diverse student body, and the fighting spirit of Pakistanis against impossible odds. We could not have had a more fitting opportunity to pay tribute to our father than donating towards the Economics department.”
Dr. Ali Khan, Associate Professor and Dean, MGSHSS, outlined how the donation will reshape the future of the department, and by extension the School. “There is no university globally that is producing the quality and quantity of research on Pakistan that the Department of Economics and its sister department, Humanities and Social Sciences, are doing at the moment. I can say without any doubt, that the School and the Department will be greatly honoured by this association with Shahid Hussain’s family.”
While presenting the recent successes of the department, Dr. Ali Hasanain, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Economics, said, “In the last decade, the Department has drastically improved in terms of global collaborations. We have research projects with co-authors from nearly every Ivy League university and top institution in Europe.”
Dr. Farhat Haq, Provost, LUMS, expressed her thoughts about how the funds will be utilised saying, “Our Economics department can play a very important role in pushing towards policy relevant research that can change some of the organisational pathologies and structural impediment that have stopped our human potential to thrive. These funds will give us the lift to do things in the long run, for our country, for the discipline of Economics and our young men and women.”
Mr. Abdul Razak Dawood, Pro Chancellor, LUMS spoke about his memories of Chaudhry Nazar Muhammad and noted how he was a source of encouragement, guidance, and strength. “When we all started LUMS, we knew it was not going to be a trip; it was going to be a journey. It actually turned out to be an adventure. An adventure to greatness and an adventure to doing something big for our country, which in the early days was something we never expected. Part of that adventure was Chaudhry Nazar Muhammad himself.”
He recalled that Chaudhry Nazar Muhammad always looked for three things in his family and himself, “Human capital, intellectual capital and right at the back, was financial capital. Today, we remember him, and I want to thank the Hussain family for all that they have done for LUMS from the bottom of my heart.”
