Dr. Adnan Khan
Dean Student Affairs
Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics
Syed Babar Ali School of Sciences & Engineering
Mr. Adnan Khan is currently the Dean of Student Affairs at LUMS and has been associated with LUMS for the last 10 years since February 2008. He is also an Associate Professor at the Department of Mathematics and teaches subjects such as calculus, dynamical systems and stochastic processes at the Undergraduate level. He completed his Postgraduate in 2007 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His research interests include Mathematical Epidemiology, Stochastic Modeling and Asymptotic Analysis. He has a passion for reading, fitness and likes to travel.
He is keenly interested in helping students and providing advice on issues that they may be facing. He shared his views with us on the NOP Scholarship and the positive impact he believes it has created.
“I believe the NOP is a truly national scholarship that brings together the brightest minds across Pakistan and gives them the tools and environment to succeed”
When I was first introduced to the LUMS NOP Scholarship I was delighted to know that it is truly a national initiative with NOP Scholars coming from more than 115 cities, town and villages across Pakistan. These include not just the sprawling cosmopolitan hubs like Lahore and Karachi but smaller, underserves areas such as Duki, Khaplu, Swabi and Renala Khurd.
The objective of the NOP remains to extend the benefits of a world class education to talented yet underprivileged students from all over the country. This is achieved by developing a pipeline through which the brightest minds are reached out to, provided academic coaching and guided to obtaining Undergraduate Admission at LUMS. With time we have seen a phenomenal growth in applications for the NOP Summer Coaching Session and awareness of the NOP in general.
The students who go on to become NOP Scholars at LUMS have shown great academic and extra-curricular capabilities, may it be being on the Dean’s Honour List or heading a student society, I see them embracing the culture and life at LUMS to the fullest. My advice to not just current but prospective NOP scholars is that remember all opportunities have a shelf life and you must not let them pass you by. The academic rigour at LUMS is not for the faint hearted and success as a student requires persistent dedication and effort. I urge all students to confront the challenges they face and in essence develop into their best selves by the time they graduate.
At this point I must also address those who have made access to Higher Education possible for such bright and deserving students. LUMS works tirelessly to garner funds for the NOP and we have been generously aided by many of our partners, making Donor Support a core foundation of the various financial aid offerings at LUMS including the NOP. The cost of tertiary education all over the world is on the rise but specifically in private intuitions where costs are not covered by government-induced subsidies. In such a scenario, donors are essential in supporting this programme.
The impact of the NOP as a whole has not just been on benefiting students themselves but on entire communities. With the former, NOP Scholars have managed to grow, succeed and pursue their academic and career goals in exciting fields while for the latter there has been an overall increase in the standard of living and economic growth in their resident areas.
I believe that programmes like the NOP need to be implemented in universities nation-wide. LUMS has been a flag-bearer in this aspect and has paved the way for removing barriers to higher education. LUMS has in essence, created a level-playing field for talented students to achieve their aspirations.
I would like to conclude by saying that success comes to those countries and those societies that invest in their human capital. If we have to see our country grow and compete with global economies we must prepare a breed of leaders and intellectuals who will strive to serve the land they come from. The faculty of LUMS, many of them are trained in foreign lands and have come back to Pakistan with this very motivation that they will pass on what they have learnt to the next generation of brilliant students. This is what the NOP is hoping to do, creating a chain of highly educated professionals paying back to the communities they come from.