LUMS Vice Chancellor Talks to Aaj TV about Teaching and Learning Post Pandemic

In the wake of the pandemic, the approach to teaching and learning underwent a major transformation, and educational institutions around the world had to quickly adapt to online learning. With the world now returning to normalcy, a hybrid model has emerged and is here to stay. Vice Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad spoke to Aaj TV anchor, Sidra Iqbal on March 3, 2022, to discuss how LUMS is responding to this transformation. 

Dr. Ahmad shared that LUMS adopted a hybrid model so that students could benefit from both online and offline learning. “We have learned some very important lessons during COVID-19. Despite the road bumps, everyone embraced online learning within weeks; this ‘platform learning’ has now become the front and centre, as people have ease of access, and they can learn at their convenience. However, while online learning does give flexibility to the university, we should never think that online is replacing in-person learning,” he explained. This has given universities the opportunity to redesign courses to better engage students and improve accessibility for students from different parts of Pakistan.   

“Physical laboratories or experiential learning cannot be created online. However, we can benefit from the online availability of data and enhance our research initiatives,” he added. 

Ms. Iqbal also congratulated Dr. Ahmad on being the first South Asian to be selected for the “Educator of the Year” award from the Academy of International Business (AIB), a premier global organisation of international business and management scholars. Established in 1959, AIB’s membership spans more than 70 countries worldwide. AIB fosters excellence in education by advancing the highest professional standards in international business and management. 

There was also a discussion regarding the recent initiatives announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan in the educational sector through which graduates will not be provided internship placements, and those investing or freelancing in the IT sector will be provided tax exemptions. Dr. Ahmad acknowledged that these developments are a step in the right direction and will provide an opportunity for students to gain practical experience. However, according to him, more needs to be done, as less than one per cent of the country’s GDP goes towards education. 

To watch the complete interview, click here.