LUMS CONTRIBUNAL - Lahore University of Management Sciences

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14 LUMSContribunalA Word With Our DonorsMr. Fawad Ahmed MukhtarChairman, Fatima Group of Companies LIMItedEstablished in 1936 and with a success story spread over seven decades,Fatima group is one of the leading corporate entities of Pakistan, playing asubstantial role in the growth and sustainability of important industries of Pakistan.With a talented and dedicated workforce, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilitiesand a strong and diverse range of products and services comprising of fertilizers,textiles, sugar, energy, mining and trading, we are relentlessly aiming for higherlevels of excellence.Fatima Group has built robust businesses that are creating continuous value forcustomers and shareholders through quality products and services and are inspiringconfidence and respect in the industries and markets they operate in. With theirdynamic business practices, they are striving to achieve greater economic growthand sustainable development for Pakistan.Q. Tell us something about yourself.ANS: I am the eldest of three brothers who are also thesponsors of the Group. I looked forward to managingthe family business at an early age even while I wasat Aitchison College but got formally involved after mygraduation.Q. For how long have you been with the Group?Can you share with us something about theGroup’s giving culture?ANS: I formally took over the family business after the saddemise of my Father, Mukhtar A. Sheikh.We have clear vision of how we can contribute towardsthe welfare of the society. The directors of theGroup are the trustees of Mukhtar A. Sheikh Trust,a charitable foundation named after my father. Thefoundation is making substantial contributions inthe health and education sector in Multan and surroundingareas. Similarly there are projects that FatimaGroup has undertaken such as the constructionof Mukhtar A. Sheikh Memorial Welfare Hospital inMultan, Fatima Model Village at Mehmood Kot forthe rehabilitation of flood victims and we have alsoextended our support to the Karachi Education Initiative.Fatima Group is a socially responsible corporate entityand we are working diligently for the welfare ofthe communities where we operate and the society ingeneral. We recognise that we have a unique and importantrole to play in promoting sustainable growthand making a positive impact on the local economies.Q. What initiatives have been taken up by thegroup in terms of giving to the cause of education?Why was LUMS chosen?ANS: We realise the critical role that education plays inthe economic and social development of any country.Hence we are dedicated to contributing for the bettermentof this sector. To further this cause, we are workingin collaboration with various reputable institutionsand organisations, which are working diligently forimprovements in the education sector.
LUMSContribunal 15A Word With Our DonorsLUMS is one of the top institutions of the country andit was a natural choice for Fatima Group, given the richhistory of success and values of excellence that LUMSembodies. The contribution that LUMS has made inthe higher education sector is exemplary. LUMS andits graduates have contributed greatly in improvingthe overall corporate culture not only in Pakistan butabroad as well. With LUMS expanding and wideningits horizons even further, we look forward to workingwith the students of LUMS School of Science and Engineeringas well.Q. Why do you think giving to education sector isimportant? What do you think of the LUMS NationalOutreach Programme (NOP)?ANS: The education sector can be a main driver of theeconomy and social growth. The more well-educatedand well-trained the workforce is, the better placedwe are as a nation to attain the goals that justify ourunbounded abilities and to fulfill our dreams.We are proudly associated with the LUMS NOP for webelieve that it offers great opportunities to studentswho may be financially constrained but consideringtheir intelligence and abilities, it is absolutely necessarythat they are given a platform where they can exhibitthem and excel further. The economic and socialdevelopment of Pakistan is heavily dependent on thisyouth and we hope that LUMS NOP will contributegreatly in the evolution of our society.Q. What are the expectations from LUMS studentsreceiving financial assistance? What do youthink today’s youth should aspire for in termsof personal and professional growth?ANS: We have chosen to be a part of the LUMS NOP becausewe believe that LUMS will ensure that thosestudents confronting dearth of resources will be givenan opportunity to realise their true potential. Theywill open themselves to new ideas and possibilitiesthrough the world-class education that LUMS providesthem. We expect that they will fully utilise theirexperience at LUMS and improve the lives of theirfamilies and the communities they come from, botheconomically and socially. Their progression shouldbe an inspiration for all.Q. Where do you see the future of education inPakistan? How can organisations like FatimaGroup be a part of this sector and its development?ANS: We have to be optimistic. This is a sector that is confrontingproblems. Those with finances and access toresources have to ensure that extensive and long termmeasures are adopted; not superficial ones. We haveto make sure that the impact of the steps taken forthe improvement of the education sector benefit notjust for the present generation, but also future generations.The corporate sector and education sector can collaborateto work for substantial growth in the areasof research and development. Corporate sector cancontribute in making the environment for researchmore favorable for academicians. Moreover, corporatesector will also gain from the insight that the researchfindings provide regarding the economy and the societyin general, which will lead to the adoption ofimproved and sustainable business practices.Q. What would be your message to the youth, educationists,businessmen and professionals ofPakistan?ANS: The people of Pakistan have tremendous potential, butthis potential has to be managed and utilised in the bestand most efficient manner possible. When working forthe betterment for the society at large, all important andinfluential actors cannot act in isolation. They have to collaboratefor greater impact and gains.
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