Peshawar, the cultural and financial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is home to some of the most famous archaic landmarks and traditional delicacies. Not only are the people exceptionally hospitable but are always ready to lend a helping hand to all those who visit. The National Outreach Programme team visited the cities of Peshawar, Charsadda, Risalpur, Nowshera, Kohat and Mardan from October 21 to 25, 2019 to spread the word about the scholarship. The team visited 16 colleges and reached over 600 students.

During the information sessions that took place, students were informed about the National Outreach Programme (NOP) scholarship and were walked through the state-of-the-art facilities at LUMS. During the Q&A sessions that followed, the eligibility criteria for the NOP Summer Coaching Session (SCS) as well as the application process were discussed. A highlight of this visit was coming across those students who had attended the NOP Summer Coaching Session in previous years and were extremely passionate about motivating their peers for the same.

The College Administrators appreciated the NOP team for reaching out to them and sharing information about the scholarship. Ms. Shahana Raziq, Administrator, Islamia School for Girls, Peshawar said that the session was extremely informative and would benefit the students of her institution. Mr. Mirza Azad, Administration Head, Punjab Group of Colleges, Nowshera remarked that the NOP can prove to be a life changing opportunity for students and vowed to motivate his students to apply for the scholarship.

The National Outreach Programme (NOP) team at LUMS held an Open Day in Quetta on November 6, 2019, which was attended by over 1,000 students, parents and educators. Although similar events have been conducted in other provinces by LUMS, this marked the first of this scale in Balochistan.

Established in 2001, the NOP is a prestigious scholarship that aims to educate brilliant individuals from underprivileged backgrounds from across Pakistan. The NOP team sets out to visit a multitude of schools and colleges in cities, towns and villages all over the nation to inform students about the NOP and how they can make use of this life changing opportunity. To date, NOP scholars have come from 122 cities, making it one of the most diverse scholarships in the country.

In instances where direct visits are not feasible, indirect outreach methods are used. Such was the case in the province of Balochistan, where the prevailing security concerns made direct outreach visits impossible. Consequently, educational partners such as the Balochistan Education Endowment Fund (BEEF) and Balochistan Residential Colleges were sent programme details and guidelines for their students, to ensure that talented students from the Province were made aware of this Programme and would apply.

The NOP team reached out to various stakeholders scattered across Balochistan to gather their feedback about holding a session in the Province. The team contacted BEEF initially and a feasibility study was made in terms of the timeline, venue and expected participation of the session. BEEF initiated conversation with, and sent out invitations to, multiple schools under its helm. The on ground arrangements were finalised and volunteers were requested from the Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS), to provide assistance during the event.

The Open Day consisted of multiple sessions, with the first kicking-off at 9:30 am. The jam-packed audience was given a presentation about LUMS, its facilities and an overview of the NOP. Participants were also given an overview of the application process for the annual NOP Summer Coaching Session, as well as the timeline for LUMS admissions. All sessions were interactive, and the floor was opened to Questions and Answers at the end of each presentation. Participants asked detailed questions about policies at LUMS and the NOP Scholarship, and also encouraged the team to visit other major cities in Balochistan.

Acknowledging the collaborative effort between multiple internal and external stakeholders which made the Open Day a huge success, Manager NOP Centre, Ms. Shandana Mehdi said, “Mr. Rashid Khan, Ms. Shamshad Kousar, and the entire team at BEEF who communicated with resident schools and circulated collateral on various platforms, were immensely helpful in making the event a success. Mr. Khan’s motivational speech during the session too added depth and gravity to the event. Mr. Sameen Khan, Manager Student Affairs at BUITEMS, provided unmatched hospitality and assistance. Mr. Zia Khan, through Quetta Online, was instrumental in mobilising students. The LUMS community also provided us valuable support; Ms. Hiba Zakai, Manager Campus Climate Unit, LUMS, connected our team with BUITEMS and fostered cross-university collaboration; Syed Izzat Ullah, a LUMS PhD student, helped connect us with over 30 schools and various partners and the Marketing and Communications teams at LUMS ensured that the event is well marketed with the appropriately designed communication.”

The National Outreach Programme (NOP) Centre team set out to visit the cities of Multan, Layyah, Muzaffargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan and Khanewal in mid December. They visited a total of 15 colleges and interacted with 700 students in order to give them vital information about the NOP Scholarship.

After the NOP team provided details on the facilities available at LUMS, the benefits of the Scholarship and the application process for the NOP Summer Coaching Session, an engaging Question and Answer session took place. Students were eager to know more about LUMS and the admission process and inquired about the academic disciplines being taught at LUMS as well as their future prospects in terms of careers.

As always, the feedback from the students and teachers was extremely positive. Mr. Muhamamd Hashim, Placement In-Charge at Daanish School (Boys), Dera Ghazi Khan, praised the informative nature of the session and vowed to motivate his students to apply. Similarly, Ms. Siddiqa Bukhari, Student Counsellor at the Daanish School (Girls) Dera Ghazi Khan, thanked the LUMS NOP team for visiting and hoped that like previous years, bright students would again apply to the NOP Summer Coaching session 2020. Mr. Muhammad Imran, Principal at Britain International College, Multan, exclaimed that the NOP was a life-changing opportunity for students and applying would be extremely beneficial for students under his tutelage. Dr. Anwar Niazi, Vice Principal at the Government Post Graduate College, Layyah, also expressed similar views and said the session was highly useful for students.

The National Outreach Programme (NOP) team headed to Karachi, Hyderabad and other cities in Interior Sindh including Mirpur Khas, Jamshoro and Tando Muhammad Khan from November 18-23, where they visited 14 colleges and reached out to more than a thousand students.

In Karachi and Hyderabad, information sessions were held where students were informed about the NOP Scholarship as well as the NOP journey towards LUMS Admissions. In Jamshoro the NOP team also met up with Dr. A. N. Samoo and his team at Thardeep Rural Development Programme (TRDP). TRDP is an NGO which runs initiatives for rural development in the region, and with their collaboration sessions were held with partnering colleges.

A major highlight of this visit was a fantastic session held in collaboration with the Department for Human Resources (DOHR) in Tando Muhammad Khan where more than 400 students participated from surrounding towns and villages. Out of the attendees, half were female and more than 60 were from various minority groups. DOHR provided exceptional logistical support in terms of disseminating collateral to prospective attendees and preparing for the session. Students were again briefed on the NOP process and were motivated to not just apply to LUMS but to widen their horizons as a whole in terms of pursuing their ambitions. Mr. Muhammad Ali, Head of DOHR and his team showed commitment towards promoting higher education in the province and provided unwavering support and warm hospitality to the NOP team in Tando Muhammad Khan.

Overall the feedback received from educators in the region was extremely positive with Professor Syed Owais Shah, Head Lecturer at Adamjee Government Science College Karachi extolling the benefits of the session for his students. Mr. Hammad Khalid, Manager Student Development at The Citizen Foundation College Karachi thanked the LUMS team for visiting their students and stated that the session would prove very helpful for applicants wishing to apply to the NOP Summer Coaching Session.

Mr. Syed Khalil Hussain, Principal at the F.G. Degree College, Hyderabad praised the efforts made to reach out to the underprivileged students in Sindh who displayed talent. Mr. Sanaullah Abro, Principal at GBHSS Society Jamshoro hoped that LUMS would continue to visit Sindh and inform students about the benefits of the NOP Scholarship.

The NOP team is thankful to the educational partners for their assistance during Outreach and hopes to see promising applications from this region.