Taking NOP to Bahawalpur: Building Pathways Across Southern Punjab

From 5 to 9 October 2026, the National Outreach Programme (NOP) team journeyed through southern Punjab, conducting informational sessions with students, teachers and counsellors in Bahawalpur, Ahmedpur East, Rahim Yar Khan, Uch Sharif and Yazman. Over five days, the team visited 18 schools and colleges and engaged with more than 1,400 young people. Beyond sharing information about LUMS and financial aid, the trip was rooted in community building, with honest conversations about the NOP Scholarship that made higher education feel attainable.

Rather than treating these visits as quick admissions presentations, the team focused on earning trust and planting roots in local school communities. The goal was to make sure every student left the room feeling supported, guided and equipped with a clear network of support to rely on as they plan their futures.

Key Highlights

The outreach began in Bahawalpur on 5 October, where sessions across five institutions reached over 620 students. The largest gathering was at Dominican Convent, where around 250 students attended the seminar. On 6 October, the team travelled to Ahmedpur East, where more than 240 students across four schools and colleges sat in on the sessions. The stop in Rahim Yar Khan on 7 October reached over 165 students, including those at both the boys’ and girls’ campuses of Daanish School. On 8 October, the team reached Uch Sharif, where over 240 students enthusiastically joined the discussion and Government Makhdoom Shams Ud Din College hosted the largest group. The tour wrapped up in Yazman on 9 October, where more than 155 students joined sessions at Government College and Scholar Education System Girls Higher Secondary School & College.

Marking NOP’s first in-person visits to Uch Sharif, Yazman and Ahmedpur East, this journey into South Punjab broke new ground for the Programme. Across every classroom and auditorium, students drove the dialogue with real, practical questions about eligibility, university life, financial aid and the application process.

For many, this was their very first introduction to LUMS. The team made sure to look past forms and deadlines, speaking directly to the full NOP journey, from the transformational Summer Coaching Session (SCS) to long-term mentorship and academic support.
To ensure the visit leaves a lasting impact, the team spent equal time empowering local educators. Teachers and student counsellors received hands-on walkthroughs of the SCS 2027 application process, giving them the confidence and tools to keep guiding their students locally. Students also watched personal Alumni Stories, seeing firsthand how scholars from similar backgrounds walked these exact pathways to success.

The visits also opened up fresh perspectives on future careers. Pre-medical students, in particular, explored how the BS Biology programme at LUMS can open doors beyond traditional medicine, introducing them to expanding research-intensive fields like molecular biology, genetics and computational biology.

Impact

Connecting with over 1,400 students across 18 institutions in just five days was a major milestone, but the true impact is best seen in how warmly the sessions were received. By listening to student curiosity and working closely with local educators, the NOP team was able to forge strong bonds with school communities across southern Punjab. Each such connection supports the larger movement for education reform in Pakistan, where access to higher education should depend on talent and effort rather than on income or geography.