SOE hold its 3rd Practicum Showcase Conference

The LUMS Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education (SOE) hosted its 3^rd Practicum Showcase Conference on 23rd April 2024 to showcase the year-long research-based capstone project of its MPhil students. The conference was attended by more than 500 people including students, alumni, academic professionals, heads of eminent universities, schools, NGOs and education experts. The projects were displayed through exciting gallery walk presentations and engaging panel discussions. The attendees engaged in fruitful discussions on the challenges and opportunities of the education sector.

Dr. Ali Cheema, Vice Chancellor LUMS, while appreciating students’ efforts said: "The work that the students at the School of Education have done is quite amazing. They have partnered with school leaders and education providers in the country. This is the heart of the philosophy at SOE, which is to combine knowledge and practice with the view of changing Pakistan's education landscape."

SOE partner organizations including Kingston College, CIRCLE Women Association, Beaconhouse School System, Sanjan Nagar, Nathuu, Maktab, The Little Art, LGS, Rupani, Alif Laila Book Bus Society, Taleemabad, Story Kit, The Educators, Punjab Skills Development Foundation (PSDF), Akhuwat, TEVTA, Kawish, Programme Management Implementation Unit (PMIU), Humaira Riaz, and Aziz Jehan Begum Trust, attended the conference.

Richard Geary, Founder and Director Programs at Family Educational Services and the keynote speaker at the conference, while addressing the audience regarding challenges and opportunities in education sector said: “Pakistan is a land of opportunities because there is so much that needs to get done, and there is nothing to stop you from doing it. If you have got the will and are creative, you will find those who will support you and make it possible.”

The projects displayed in the gallery walk covered a variety of interesting topics such as online learning, strategy building, instructional leadership, teacher training, non- formal education and transgender education. These projects were a depiction of the hard work, diligence and enthusiasm of students. Besides these projects, alumni from SOE also showcased their entrepreneurial ventures such as Deep Now, Pehchan, One Earth Toys, Fluently and Tabir Academy. The startups were a source of motivation for the graduating batch and encouraged them to turn their ideas into reality.

Dr. Tayyaba Tamim, Dean School of Education, while emphasizing on the importance of bridging the disconnect between research and practice said: “Our work with partner organizations and institutes is how we explore innovative solutions. Challenges related to Pakistan’s educational landscape cannot be tackled in silos. Industry partnerships address the disconnect between university research and practice within the schools. SOE collaborates with different institutions, and students work with them on these issues. That’s how we combine practice and research.”