Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship) entered into an agreement with Mott MacDonald Ltd. to scout and promote startup ventures building innovative products and services that can positively impact education and learning outcomes in the country.
This grant was made possible through UKAid/DFID’s ‘Ilm Ideas 2 Education Innovation Fund’ as a part of wider UK Aid support to Pakistan. Cambridge Education, a part of Matt MacdDonald Group, is managing the education component of this grant.
The contract was signed by Vice Chancellor of LUMS, Dr. Syed Sohail Naqvi on behalf of LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship, and Team Lead of the Ilm Ideas 2 Education Innovation Fund, Shahida Saleem on behalf of Mott MacDonald Ltd.
Other people in attendance at the contract ceremony were the Executive Director of LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship, Khurram Zafar and the Center’s management team, the management team of Ilm Ideas 2 and the Grants Management Specialist of LUMS, Saad Suhail.
Recognizing the need and importance of such interventions in the education sector of Pakistan, Dr. Sohail Naqvi commented that the scale of education challenges in the country requires out-of-the-box thinking and innovative solutions that young entrepreneurs and innovators can develop. He thanked both UKAid and Matt Macdonald while adding, “We are glad to play a pivotal role in identifying and supporting such disruptors and hope that LUMS can continue to do so beyond the life of this program,” he further added.
Shahida Saleem congratulated LUMS on playing a pivotal role in the promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation through its Center for Entrepreneurship. She added, “We are genuinely excited about this collaboration and look forward to creating a self-sustaining community enabled to continue supporting and investing in education in Pakistan.”
The contract signing was followed by a high level discussion about next steps and project milestones. LUMS will soon be inviting innovators in the education field to address the challenges identified by the program, pitch solutions that address these challenges and obtain support and funding through the LUMS Center for Entrepreneurship platform.
