AlumniConnect Session 7

The LUMS Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education hosted its seventh session in its series of talks AlumniConnect. The session, moderated by Dr. Razia Iram Sadik, Associate Professor at SOE, invited back three esteemed alumni Safa Fajr Kashaf, Adil Sattar and Hina Sohail to share their experiences.

Safa has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, with a minor in Political Science, from New York University in Abu Dhabi, and an MPhil in Education Leadership and Management from the Lahore University of Management Sciences. Presently, she is working as a Research Associate for the Human Development Cluster at the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives, where she contributes to and develops new research, as well as assists on the monitoring and evaluation of existing research efforts and government programs.

Adil is currently working on strategy and advancement for the Medical College at AKU. He has co-developed a 5 years strategic plan for the AKUH, Medical College, and School of Nursing and Midwifery; collectively known as the Academic Medical Center (AMC). His role involves working with the finance team on budgeting and costing the Plan and other support teams to operationalize the plan. His portfolio includes developing and executing strategic initiatives at the Medical College in education, research, communications, resource development, partnerships, and alumni engagement.

Hina Sohail has graduated from the University of London with a degree in international development and completed her MPhil in Educational Leadership and management from Lahore University of management sciences. She is currently serving as Assistant Manager Organizational development, training, and HR projects at The City School Head Office. Her work centers on developing training programs, facilitating change management initiatives, and reviewing the current development program to ensure achievement of company goals and building human capital & strong employee development culture.

When asked about how the degree played a pivotal role in helping them navigate their career paths, the alumni talked about how SOE offers a support system to the students in their journey and provides them with the right kind of opportunities which adequately train them for what lies ahead. They further elaborated on how the courses offered at SOE enrich students’ experience by adding to their personal growth and development and exposing them to the essential skills required to excel in this domain. The alumni highlighted the importance of linking the degree with the future goals the students have and gaining out of each opportunity that comes their way.

The session concluded with a Q&A round. While asked about one advice that the alumni would like to give to the current students, they stressed on the importance of the concept of learning beyond syllabus and classroom setting, and the essential element of learning that comes from conversations within the diverse cohort and faculty at SOE. The alumni talked about how students can build a community of their own which can provide depth to their understanding of the education landscape and add to their knowledge.