LUMS has been selected as the regional finalist for the CASE Platinum Awards 2021 in the ‘Best Practices in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ category for its National Outreach Programme (NOP). The Platinum Awards are given by the prestigious Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), a non-profit organisation, dedicated to educational advancement globally. The final round is scheduled to be held later in the year where LUMS will be representing Asia-Pacific region at the international round of the competition. The NOP furthers the University’s philosophy of Learning Without Borders and helps make world-class education accessible to all talented individuals regardless of their financial circumstances. Launched in 2001, it has an annual outreach covering 12,880 potential student applicants across 136 cities, including remotes towns and villages such as Bahawalnagar, Hunza, Swat and Taxila, among others. The programme provides financial assistance to selected NOP scholars for their tuition fee, living stipend, books and accommodation, and has so far disbursed a total of PKR 370 million. Founding Pro-Chancellor of LUMS, Syed Babar Ali said, “We feel honored to be representing Asia-Pacific in the final round of the Platinum Awards 2021, for our National Outreach Programme. Our faculty and peers have played an instrumental role in this achievement through their ongoing support in every facet of this programme. We hope to see every NOP scholar transforming into future leaders, who return to their communities as positive change agents.” Speaking about this achievement, Vice Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad said, “Through NOP, LUMS is delivering its promise to provide a transformational educational experience for brilliant individuals belonging to disadvantaged backgrounds from across Pakistan. Qualifying as a regional finalist for the Platinum Awards 2021 for this programme itself speaks for it, and further strengthens our resolve to shape a broader path towards making world-class higher education accessible to more students from other underserved areas of the country.” The University’s LUMS Live initiative to continue important conversations and staying connected, despite the social distancing restrictions amid the pandemic, also received an honorable mention in the “Best Practices in Digital Communications” category. The initiative engaging industry experts from both within and outside the LUMS community, has so far completed more than 70 sessions, where meaningful discussions are held with answers to critical questions.