Lahore: The Bilquis and Abdul Razak Dawood (BARD) Foundation has made a generous donation to establish two endowed Chairs at LUMS – the Abdul Razak Dawood Dean’s Chair at the Suleman Dawood School of Business, and the Bilquis Dawood Dean’s Chair at the Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School for Humanities and Social Sciences. These endowed Chairs will enable the Deans to expand Ph.D. scholarships, faculty fellowships and engage the two schools with industry leaders across various public and private sectors.
Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad, remarked, “We are forever grateful for a lifetime of commitment from the Dawood Family as long-time friends, custodians, and ambassadors in our joint pursuit of excellence at LUMS.” The Dawood family’s history of giving dates back to the founding of the Suleman Dawood School of Business. The BARD Foundation was also established by Mr. Abdul Razak Dawood, Pro-Chancellor for LUMS and Adviser to Prime Minister of Pakistan for Commerce and Investment, and his wife, Mrs. Bilquis Dawood. The Foundation provides access to education to Pakistani youth and supports them in a variety of ways.
Ms. Mehreen Dawood, Member of the Board of Governors of the BARD Foundation said, “We have always believed in creating opportunities for the people of Pakistan. We hope our humble contribution goes on to strengthen the University to further create value in society.” Her brother Mr. Faisal Dawood added, “It is great that I am getting the opportunity to follow the footsteps of our father to create social impact.” Similarly, Mr. Taimur Dawood added, “We look forward to serving society with the same passion as our father. Our next generation will hopefully do the same.”
Founding Pro-Chancellor, LUMS, Syed Babar Ali praised the Dawood family’s continued philanthropy. “It is wonderful to see that the next generation is taking interest and carrying forward the legacy of their father. We are truly grateful for their generosity,” he said.
To date, the Dawood family and the BARD Foundation have supported countless students, helped the LUMS Business School to excel, and sponsored infrastructure projects for housing and learning spaces on campus. They have also contributed to critical research conducted throughout LUMS that addresses some of the most complex problems in Pakistan and the region. Their support has helped the University truly embrace its philosophy of ‘Learning Without Borders’.
Members of the BARD Foundation Board of Directors made the gift official through an MOU signing with LUMS. Along with the above individuals, they were joined by Rector, Mr. Shahid Hussain, Founding Member of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Parvez Hassan, and senior LUMS faculty and staff.
