The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) is a national university,
established by sponsors belonging to the country’s leading private and
public sector corporations. The goal of the sponsors is to develop an institution,
which would provide rigorous academic and intellectual training and a viable
alternative to education comparable to leading universities across the world.
The National Management Foundation, the sponsoring body of the University was
incorporated in November 1984 and was granted a charter by the Government of
Pakistan for establishing the University, in March 1985, with the president
of Pakistan being designated the role of the University’s Chancellor.
Through this charter, the University was given the legal right to establish
degree-granting programmes. The Board of Trustees, the policy-making body of
the University, comprises leading members of the business community, academia
and representatives of the government. The principal functions of the Board
are to set broad policy guidelines and to review the operations of the University.
The Board of Governors, being the sponsors of LUMS, raises the necessary funds
for the University’s operation and maintenance. Many board members are
representatives of the business community and form a crucial link between the
University and the industry.
In 1986 LUMS launched its Business School with a world-class MBA programme
(recently the School has been renamed as the Suleman Dawood School of Business).
In 1994, LUMS started a BSc Honours Programme in Economics and Computer Science.
Over Subsequent years this evolved to include more specializations. In 1996,
the School of Arts and Sciences was formed to oversee the undergraduate programme
at LUMS. Later on, masters programmes in Economics, Computer Science and Computer
Engineering were also added, followed by the launch of doctoral programmes in
Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Mathematics and the Executive MBA
programme. In 2002, a five year, integrated, BA-LL.B degree was also included
to the list of programmes offered by the school.
As the programmes and departments expanded, it became apparent that the scope
and diversity of the programmes offered by the School demanded more meaningful
division and focus. Hence, in 2006, School of Humanities, Social Sciences and
Law has been established that oversees the Social Sciences, Economics and Law
Departments, and the School of Science and Engineering, lahunced in 2008, oversees
Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Electrical Engineering.