LUMS has received a generous donation of USD 2 million by Mr. Mudassir Sheikha, CEO and Co-founder Careem, to establish the “Sekha Scholarship” for undergraduate scholars at the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE). The scholarship entails 100% merit-based fee waivers to 10 top students with financial need.
“We are honoured by the expression of confidence Mr. Sheikha has shown in our capacity for impact, and we are grateful for this support”, said Syed Babar Ali, Founding Pro Chancellor, LUMS.
LUMS SBASSE offers world class undergraduate programmes in Biology, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics. The School’s highly qualified faculty has been at the forefront of LUMS no-borders philosophy, encouraging cross-disciplinary collaborations within SBASSE and across other Schools.
Acknowledging the donation, Mr. Shahid Hussain, Rector, LUMS said, “We are very grateful to Mudassir Sheikha for setting up merit scholarships for students to work in the finest facilities and with mentorship by dedicated faculty. This is the type of support that takes us in the right direction.”
The scholarship will reward the top science and engineering undergraduate students on financial aid by providing merit-based fee waivers, incentivizing excellence in education.
“Thanks to the generous contributions of people before us, I was able to secure world-class education that opened the doors to opportunities for me and my family. It is our desire that no one who is talented and has the grit to work hard should be deprived of quality education just because they cannot afford it; human potential is the most precious asset and it is a shame for us to waste it. Through Sekha Scholarships, we will support talented, hardworking and financially-needy students who will build a bright future for our beloved country,” said Mr. Sheikha while expressing his thoughts regarding the scholarship.
“This is a remarkably generous gift,” said Dr. Arshad Ahmad, Vice Chancellor, LUMS. He added, “The Sekha Merit Scholarships goes a long way to support students in the Sciences to pursue academic excellence and change lives”.
Extending these tributes, Dr. Sabieh Anwar, Dean, SBASSE said, “Careem exemplifies the School’s vision of creating solutions from scratch. These solutions harbour the potential to change how the world operates, in this case, how the world moves. The Sekha donation will allow our top undergraduates to participate in this mission, by receiving an inspiring education that empowers them to become agents of change. The Careem model is an epitome for digital inclusion and accessibility which are values we espouse at SBASSE.”
Careem is the everyday Super App for the greater Middle East & Pakistan. A pioneer of the region’s ride-hailing economy, Careem provides a host of daily services that people need to move around, order things, and transfer money in one unified smartphone app. Careem’s mission is to simplify and improve the lives of people and build an awesome organization that inspires. Established in July 2012, Careem operates in over 100 cities across 13 countries and has created more than two million income-generating opportunities in the region.
