The Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education (SOE) at LUMS marked a milestone in educational innovation with its fourth annual Practicum Showcase Conference, held on April 28. The event spotlighted transformative capstone projects developed by MPhil Education Leadership and Management students in collaboration with leading education sector organisations.
Bringing together over 400 attendees—including students, faculty, senior LUMS leadership, partner organisations, and education experts—the one-day conference served as a vibrant platform to address some of the most pressing challenges in Pakistan’s education system.
The student projects, developed over the course of a year, reflected deep engagement with real-world problems in areas such as pedagogy, inclusive education, leadership, educational technology, art education, early childhood learning, and community development. The event featured a gallery walk of presentations, interactive workshops, and thought-provoking panel discussions aimed at generating practical and scalable solutions.
Keynote speaker Ms Baela Raza Jamil, Founder and CEO of Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi, emphasized the need to rethink traditional education models. “The colonial, factory-model school system wasn’t built for the world we live in today,” she said. “We need bold, local solutions that speak to our realities. Education must engage the mind, heart, and gut—through strong socio-emotional learning. It’s only through meaningful partnerships between citizens, governments, and institutions like LUMS that we can truly reimagine education for the future.”
Closing the conference, SOE Dean Dr Tayyaba Tamim praised the students and partner organisations for their collaborative spirit and commitment to change. “We celebrate the culmination of the MPhil journey for our graduating students. None of this would have been possible without the invaluable support of our partner organisations,” she remarked. “This conference is a space to engage with issues that matter deeply to us. I urge you to keep one vital element at the center—teacher wellbeing. Let us humanise our systems, our policies, and our practices.”
The conference reaffirmed SOE’s commitment to bridging academic theory with on-the-ground realities, strengthening partnerships, and cultivating the next generation of education leaders equipped to drive systemic reform.