Maneha Tariq, GVS team member, has made to the Dean’s List at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). She was conferred with “Distinction” for graduating on the Deans Honors List from the Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law. Maneha recently joined GVS as its legal correspondent. She intends to join Harvard Law School for her LLM.
LUMS is first Pakistani university to come up with its own unique law curriculum leading to a LLB degree that requires five years of course work after grade-12 (A Level). Pakistani LLB in general is only three years.
Many Pakistani students also study for University of London External Degree program. There are many private colleges across the cities of Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad that help students prepare for LLB External program. However, LUMS LLB degree is also different from the University of London external degree in its syllabus. Law is gradually becoming a degree of choice for upper middle classes in Pakistan.
LUMS currently comprises of five schools that offer majors in business, humanities, engineering & sciences, law and education. Maneha was awarded her LLB degree from the LUMS School of Law.
Read More: LUMS Engineer Builds Pakistan’s First Voice-Operated Wheelchair
LUMS convocation 2020 was a virtual event
As per the conventions of pandemic world, the graduating class of 2020 was honored vis a virtual convocation, which was the first of its kind in the institution’s history. The ceremony was hosted on Facebook Live and joined by more than two thousand viewers.
“For students, graduation signifies the successful completion of their studies, and offers them a perfect opportunity to celebrate and reflect on their achievements with their family, friends and faculty. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, and health and safety protocols, LUMS is marking this momentous occasion with a virtual ceremony,” read the official note issued by LUMS in this regard. Maneha LUMS
In the days leading up to the ceremony, the graduating students were sent heartfelt packages that, amongst other souvenirs, entrusted them with their graduation caps.
The convocation proceedings began with a goose bump inducing rendition of the National Anthem of Pakistan sung by the LUMS’s own students and was followed by an encouraging message from the Vice Chancellor of LUMS, Dr. Arshad Ahmad.
“Could this be your defining moment, to look beyond personal ambition and consider a noble, social vision that is required more than ever before?” urged the Vice Chancellor while considering the prevailing circumstances posed by the global pandemic.
Read More: Malala addresses graduates at the LUMS Convocation 2020
Malala, Nobel laureate addressed LUMS convocation
After the VC had concluded his welcome address, Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Laureate and a global advocate for education and women empowerment, was introduced as the keynote speaker for the event.
Malala gave an inspirational and commendable speech highlighting her lived experiences in Swat and abroad. She highlighted the importance of advocating for equal opportunities for all, especially education. “Change does not occur itself; someone has to step forward and speak out,” said the youngest Nobel Laureate.
She commented on how Pakistan has the second highest out of school females and thus stressed on how as a community the young graduates should acknowledge their role in challenging gender discrimination, injustices and harmful practices towards women. “To all the men you have an important role to play… speak out for girls and women’s rights, stand by them, and sometime step back so they have an equal presence.” added Malala.
“We are graduating in a time period where uncertainty could not be more certain … while the pandemic has affected all of us it has not affected us all equally,” concluded the keynote speaker.
And she sounded true as the batch of 2020 globally is the one faced with unique challenges, graduating into a world where economic recession is rampant, and old unsustainable ways of living need to be overlooked. Perhaps a virtual convocation was the best way for these kindred spirits to adapt themselves to a brave new world.
Malala’s keynote speech was followed by the conferment of academic awards and degrees. Graduates of each school were directed to links where they could view the degree conferment of their specific discipline/major.
LUMS students did’nt want Malala as Key Note Speaker? Maneha LUMS
Apparently, some students of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) had reportedly asked the administration to ‘dis-invite’ girls’ rights activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai from the varsity’s annual convocation, saying that she is ‘anti-state’.
The students wrote to the Vice Chancellor of the university expressing their reservations over having her as the keynote speaker at the convocation.
According to social media reports, these members of the graduating batch of LUMS wanted singer Bilal Khan to grace the convocation ceremony as the keynote speaker instead of Yousafzai.
Sanval Nasim, an Associate Professor at LUMS tweeted that the students have said that they “come from army families and that Malala is anti-state”. However, he had also clarified through his tweet, these protesting students did not represent all. Malala is controversial in parts of Pakistani society, who consider her being promoted as a hero by the west.
Folks: I want to clarify that only a small cohort of students expressed this opinion. Please don’t think that these sentiments extend across the entire student body.
— Sanval Nasim (@SanvalNasim) June 30, 2020
While the class of 2020 takes on what comes ahead, GVS team wants to remind them to not let their concrete ambitions be obfuscated by a global pandemic. Surely, as Malala rightly pointed out, the darkest moments are followed by the brightest, and as graduates enter into a world of new possibilities – it is in this time that they must hold back their angry tears and focus on the silver lining — they are healthy. They are safe and they are now, college graduates.
GVS News Team with input from Junaid Arif at Desk