NEWS

Lahore School of Economics Convocation 2019

Lahore School of Economics' Sixteenth Annual Convocation was held on 23rd February 2019. Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry, Chairman and Rector Lahore School, conferred degrees and awards upon graduating students.

The degrees were awarded to 900 graduates of the class of 2018 comprising of 468 BBA (Hons) graduates, 90 BSc Economics (Hons) graduates, 44 BS Social Sciences (Hons) graduates, 128 MBA graduates, 115 MBA Professional graduates, 14 MPhil in Economics graduates, 7 MPhil in Environmental Sciences graduates, 8 MPhil in Business Administration graduates, 12 MPhil in Development Studies, 12 Post Graduate Diplomas and 2 PhD graduates.

Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry welcomed the members Lahore School Board of Governors, parents, and students at the convocation ceremony. In his welcome address, the Rector highlighted the role of Lahore School of Economics since it was established in 1993 and received its Charter in 1997 as a Business School specializing in Economics, Finance and Business Administration.

The Lahore School of Economics has developed over time to combine its specialization in Business and Economics with Social Sciences including English Language and Literature and Political Science, Media Studies Art and Design and Basic and Applied Sciences including Mathematics and Statistics and Environmental Science and Policy. As a result, the Lahore School of Economics is now a very balanced institution of higher education, combining higher level of specialization in all these disciplines together with a weaving of all these subjects into a well rounded curricula.

Only first division students are eligible to apply for admission which is determined through a rigorous entrance examination and a 100% interview of all students who pass the entrance examination. Admitted students have access to a generous scholarship program so that the Lahore School is accessible to all sections of society - as a result, one third of the student body is on some form of scholarship. In addition the MPhil and PhD Programs are full scholarship programs. As a result, the Lahore School of Economics with its 2462 undergraduate and 325 graduate students, is counted as one of Pakistan's finest educational institutions being Ranked Number 2 in Pakistan in the Business Education Category by the HEC in its 2015 Rankings of Universities.

The Lahore School is fortunate in having a 130 full time and 50 part time highly qualified faculty members of which more than 40 have PhDs. The Lahore School's Faculty Development Programme is intense. All Faculty members do at least 2 weeks of training each semester. They also regularly attend international conferences and more than 30 faculty members have attended international conference in the last 2 years. The Lahore School alumni are considered as an extension of the Lahore School's academic and research activities. The Lahore School's Alumni Office serves as a focal point for their alumni related activities which include both alumni involvement in the Lahore School's academic and research programs and alumni development through the following specialized associations: (i) Independent Business Leaders; (ii) Bankers and Financial Analysts; (iii) Professionals in Corporate Sector; (iv) Educationists and Public Officers; (v) Telecom & IT Professionals and Consultants; (vi) Trade Specialists and (vii) Advertising and Media Professionals.

In research and innovation, the Lahore School is committed to continuing world class research that is being currently undertaken at the Lahore School through the following venues: (i) Internationally collaborative research with production of 20-30 impact factor publications a year published in the world's leading journals including the Quarterly Journal of Economics; (ii) Internationally published books (including by the Cambridge University Press) on the Pakistan Economy; (iii) Three leading internationally recognized academic journals viz. the Lahore Journal of Economics (HEC X Category Journal), the Lahore Journal of Business (HEC Y Category Journal) and the Lahore Journal of Policy Studies; (iv) Two annual international conferences including one on the Management of the Pakistan Economy (15th Annual Conference in 2018) and the other on Managing Business in Pakistan (6th Annual Conference in 2018): (v) One international conference on Micro Finance (3nd Annual Conference in 2018) (vi) Three annual national conferences: one each in the area of Mathematics, Environment Sciences and Policy, and Social Sciences.

The Lahore School of Economics is engaged in multiple international and local partnerships which focus on knowledge exchange. These international partnerships include: (i) International research partnerships with top level foreign universities (such as Columbia University, MIT, Yale University, Oxford University and University of Warwick) and research institutions (such as the International Growth Centre (UK), Private Enterprise Development in Low Income Countries (UK), the National Science Foundation (US) and the British Academy (UK). (ii) International student and faculty exchange programs through MOUs (with institutions such as University of St. Gallen (Switzerland), University of Colombo (Sri Lanka), Bahcesir University (Turkey) and Macquarie University (Australia). (iii) Hosting national level student competitions (such as National Debating Competitions, Model United Nations and Econothons).

The Lahore School has also stepped up its co-curricular activities. There are 16 students societies both social and academic which are extremely active. The Lahore School Business Development Centre has introduced solar technology to the Lahore School.

The Lahore School's Corporate Relation Office invites more than 100 high level guest lecturers a year from leading corporations and the Corporate Social Responsibility office holds monthly free medical camps at the hospital adjacent to the Lahore School and Lahore School Milo Milk feeding programmes in neighborhood schools.

Finally, the Lahore School's Placement Office has ensured that almost all students of the MBA Programmes are placed before graduation. Last year graduating class was placed at an average salary of Rs.60,000 per month.

As a result of all these efforts, the Lahore School's graduates are amongst the finest students produced in Pakistan. They are highly sought after in the job market and a large number proceed to graduate studies both in Pakistan and abroad.

At the end of the ceremony, the Lahore School graduates joined their parents and friends for refreshments while reflecting upon their rite of passage. The parents could be seen interacting with faculty members, sharing some poignant moments.

The cameras flashed as the graduates gathered for photos, followed by loud cheers. Faculty and graduates dressed in robes, and the parents of graduates, their faces beaming with a well-earned pride, added to the graceful ceremony and the amazing congregation of the Lahore School community.

Convocation Address by the Rector:

Honourable Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Governor of the Punjab and Patron of the Lahore School of Economics, Members of the Board of Governors, Faculty, Students and Distinguished Guests.

I welcome you to this 16th Convocation 2019 of the Lahore School of Economics.

The Lahore School of Economics was established in 1993 and received its Charter in 1997 as a Business School specializing in Economics, Finance and Business Administration. The Lahore School of Economics has developed over time to combine its specialization in Business and Economics with Social Sciences including English Language and Literature and Political Science, Media Studies Art and Design and Basic and Applied Sciences including Mathematics and Statistics and Environmental Science and Policy. As a result, the Lahore School of Economics is now a very balanced institution of higher education, combining higher level of specialization in all these disciplines together with a weaving of all these subjects into a well rounded curricula. Only first division students are eligible to apply for admission which is determined through a rigorous entrance examination and a 100% interview of all students who pass the entrance examination. Admitted students have access to a generous scholarship program so that the Lahore School is accessible to all sections of society - as a result, one third of the student body is on some form of scholarship. In addition the MPhil and PhD Programs are full scholarship programs. As a result, the Lahore School of Economics with its 2462 undergraduate and 325 graduate students, is counted as one of Pakistan's finest educational institutions being Ranked Number 2 in Pakistan in the Business Education Category by the HEC in its 2015 Rankings of Universities.

The Lahore School is fortunate in having a 130 full time and 50 part time highly qualified faculty members of which more than 40 have PhDs. The Lahore School's Faculty Development Programme is intense. All Faculty members do at least 2 weeks of training each semester. They also regularly attend international conferences and more than 30 faculty members have attended international conference in the last 2 years. The Lahore School alumni are considered as an extension of the Lahore School's academic and research activities. The Lahore School's Alumni Office serves as a focal point for their alumni related activities which include both alumni involvement in the Lahore School's academic and research programs and alumni development through the following specialized associations: (i) Independent Business Leaders; (ii) Bankers and Financial Analysts; (iii) Professionals in Corporate Sector; (iv) Educationists and Public Officers; (v) Telecom & IT Professionals and Consultants; (vi) Trade Specialists and (vii) Advertising and Media Professionals.

Research and Innovation: The Lahore School is committed to continuing world class research that is being currently undertaken at the Lahore School through the following venues: (i) Internationally collaborative research with production of 20-30 impact factor publications a year published in the world's leading journals including the Quarterly Journal of Economics; (ii) Internationally published books (including by the Cambridge University Press) on the Pakistan Economy; (iii) Three leading internationally recognized academic journals viz. the Lahore Journal of Economics (HEC X Category Journal), the Lahore Journal of Business (HEC Y Category Journal) and the Lahore Journal of Policy Studies; (iv) Two annual international conferences including one on the Management of the Pakistan Economy (15th Annual Conference in 2018) and the other on Managing Business in Pakistan (6th Annual Conference in 2018): (v) One international conference on Micro Finance (3nd Annual Conference in 2018) (vi) Three annual national conferences: one each in the area of Mathematics, Environment Sciences and Policy, and Social Sciences.

Knowledge Exchange Partnerships: The Lahore School of Economics is engaged in multiple international and local partnerships which focus on knowledge exchange. These international partnerships include: (i) International research partnerships with top level foreign universities (such as Columbia University, MIT, Yale University, Oxford University and University of Warwick) and research institutions (such as the International Growth Centre (UK), Private Enterprise Development in Low Income Countries (UK), the National Science Foundation (US) and the British Academy (UK). (ii) International student and faculty exchange programs through MOUs (with institutions such as University of St. Gallen (Switzerland), University of Colombo (Sri Lanka), Bahcesir University (Turkey) and Macquarie University (Australia). (iii) Hosting national level student competitions (such as National Debating Competitions, Model United Nations and Econothons).

The Lahore School has also stepped up its co-curricular activities. There are 16 students societies both social and academic which are extremely active. The Lahore School Business Development Centre has introduced solar technology to the Lahore School. The Lahore School's Corporate Relation Office invites more than 100 high level guest lecturers a year from leading corporations and the Corporate Social Responsibility office holds monthly free medical camps at the hospital adjacent to the Lahore School and Milo Milk feeding programmes in neighborhood schools. Finally, the Lahore School's Placement Office has ensured that almost all students of the MBA Programmes are placed before graduation. Last year graduating class was placed at an average salary of Rs.60,000 per month.

As a result of all these efforts described above by faculty, administration and the students themselves the Lahore School's graduates you see here today are amongst the finest students produced in Pakistan. They are highly sought after in the job market and a large number proceed to graduate studies both in Pakistan and abroad.

The Lahore School of Economics is privileged today to have Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, the Governor of the Punjab, award degrees to the 900 graduates of the class of 2018 comprising of 468 BBA (Hons) graduates, 90 BSc Economics (Hons) graduates, 44 BS Social Sciences (Hons) graduates, 128 MBA graduates, 115 MBA Professional graduates, 14 MPhil in Economics graduates, 7 MPhil in Environmental Sciences graduates, 8 MPhil in Business Administration graduates, 12 MPhil in Development Studies, 12 Post Graduate Diplomas and 2 PhD graduates.

I would like to thank Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, the Governor of the Punjab, for presiding over this Convocation, the Board of Governors, Faculty and Staff for making today's achievements possible, congratulate the graduating students for the honours they have achieved and acknowledge the support of their parents who deserve all the credit for these magnificent graduates.

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