Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) has unveiled a landmark exhibition that brings back to public consciousness the lost treasures of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s legendary toshakhāna (royal treasury). Titled “Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Toshakhāna: The Material Splendour of 19th Century Punjab,” the exhibition re-examines Punjab’s royal material heritage through rigorous research, digital reconstruction, and immersive storytelling, offering audiences a rare window into the cultural and aesthetic life of the Lahore Darbār.

Opened on December 12, 2025, and running through December 19, 2025, at the Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences (MGSHSS), LUMS, the exhibition traces the history and dispersal of the famed toshakhāna of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who ruled Punjab from 1799 to 1839. Once celebrated for its extraordinary objects crafted in gold and silver and embellished with precious stones, the toshakhāna reflected the refined artistic sensibilities and cultural vibrancy of the Lahore Darbār. Many of these prized possessions were later dismantled, auctioned, or lost following the annexation of Punjab in 1849 by the East India Company.

The exhibition is curated by Dr. Nadhra Shahbaz Khan, Associate Professor of Art and Architectural History, and Dr. Murtaza Taj, Associate Professor of Computer Science, whose interdisciplinary collaboration draws on years of research into the dispersal of the toshakhāna. By combining historical inquiry with digital methodologies, the curators have created an exhibition that allows visitors to engage with material culture in new and meaningful ways.

Visitors encounter a rich array of video narratives, infographics, immersive installations, and reimagined models of lost objects, developed by a dedicated team of young researchers: Abdullah Ahmad, Anas Kashmiri, Zeenat Nabi, Ayesha Ali, and Hamza Salar Hassan. Among the narratives presented is a nuanced account of the famed Koh-i-Noor diamond, alongside digital reconstructions of destroyed treasures such as Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s silver bangla, a double-storied mobile throne that was dismantled after annexation, its silver sheets melted down for bullion.

Together, these narratives highlight the social, cultural, and artistic life of Lahore in the 19 th century, encouraging audiences to engage with heritage as a vital dimension of historical understanding rather than as a distant or abstract past. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice Chancellor Dr. Ali Cheema emphasised the importance of such scholarly and public engagement initiatives. “Heritage at LUMS aims to centre heritage as a way for us to discover who we are as a people, and to reflect on what inclusive futures could look like,” he said.

The exhibition’s Guest of Honour, the university’s Founding Pro Chancellor, Syed Babar Ali, noted that much of Punjab's dispersed heritage remains scattered across global collections awaiting documentation. The event’s Chief Guest, eminent scholar Fakir Syed Aijazuddin, highlighted the broader stakes of historical inquiry, observing, “Those who forget history are not condemned to be liberated; they are condemned to forfeit it. And that is the danger that confronts us.”

The toshakhāna exhibition forms part of the wider Heritage at LUMS initiative, which seeks to advance heritage scholarship through research, preservation, and public engagement. Dr. Ali Raza, Chair of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, spoke about complementary initiatives such as the LUMS Digital Archive and the Lutfullah Khan Archive, entrusted to the University by the late archivist’s family. The collection comprises over 2,500 hours of recordings, which LUMS is actively working to preserve and digitise for future generations.

Reflecting on the curatorial intent, Dr. Khan noted, “The intention is not to mourn what has been lost, but to recall or reimagine, and then read these objects as living portraits of their age; of the hands that shaped them, the eyes that admired them, and the refined aesthetics of a society that brought them into being.”

Open to the public until December 19, 2025, the exhibition underscores LUMS’ commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship and its growing role as a national platform for rethinking heritage through research, technology, and inclusive cultural dialogue.

October 31, 2025: LUMS and Habib Bank Limited (HBL) have signed an MoU to collaborate on developing commercial financing schemes for LUMS’ upcoming project, ‘Pakistan – Battery Swapping Network’.

The initiative aims to accelerate the adoption of electric three-wheelers in Pakistan by introducing flexible and accessible financing options. Through this collaboration, both institutions seek to drive the transition toward cleaner, emission-free transport solutions and contribute to improving air quality across urban centres.

Beyond reducing emissions, the project aligns with Pakistan’s climate change mitigation commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement and the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The signing ceremony was held at LUMS and was attended by senior representatives from both organisations, including Omer Mallick, Product Head SME, HBL, and Dr. Tariq Mahmood Jadoon, Provost, LUMS, along with team members from the LUMS Energy Institute (LEI) and HBL’s SME division.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Naveed Arshad, Director, LEI emphasised the project’s role in catalysing private sector investment in electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. He noted, “This project has the potential to demonstrate the strong techno-economic viability of electric three-wheelers compared to their internal combustion engine-based counterparts, serving as a catalyst for the transformation of Pakistan’s road transportation sector towards EVs.”

Dr. Tariq Mahmood Jadoon highlighted the university’s continued leadership in EV research and innovation, stating, “LUMS has established the eMobility Research and Development Centre—the first-of-its-kind facility in Pakistan for testing and characterisation of EV batteries, motors, and other components. The centre provides critical support to the emerging EV industry and will play a key role in advancing our upcoming project, Pakistan – Battery Swapping Network.”

Expressing HBL’s commitment to enabling sustainable finance and innovation, Omer Mallick, Product Head SME at HBL, shared, “We are delighted to partner with LUMS on this pioneering initiative. Through the Mitigation Action Facility’s support for a first-loss guarantee, HBL will be able to offer subsidised and convenient financing options to private sector players and SMEs, facilitating the rollout of EV charging infrastructure across Pakistan.”

This collaboration represents a significant step toward developing Pakistan’s electric mobility ecosystem by bridging the gap between research, innovation, and accessible financing.

Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) proudly announces the appointment of Amir Husain, a globally recognized leader in artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship, to its University Advisory Board.

Currently based in Austin, Texas, Mr. Husain has been celebrated worldwide for his pioneering work at the intersection of advanced technology, business innovation, and global impact. Among his many distinctions are the University of Texas at Austin’s Presidential Citation, the institution’s highest honor, as well as recognition as Austin Business Journal’s Top Entrepreneur and inclusion in Austin’s 40 Under 40. His ventures have consistently achieved international acclaim, with appearances on CNBC’s Fastest Growing Companies lists and coverage in leading outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, BBC, Fortune, Forbes, and Proceedings of the U.S. Naval Institute.

Together with his wife, Zaib Husain, Mr. Husain has also demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing knowledge and nurturing future innovators. The couple endowed a Machine Learning Laboratory at UT Austin, reflecting their belief ine the transformative power of education and research.

Reflecting on his new role at LUMS, Mr. Husain said: “LUMS is one of Pakistan’s premier institutions of learning. And after decades of hard work by Pakistani researchers, entrepreneurs and students, Pakistan’s time on the global stage has arrived. It is a great honor to be part of the team that will steward LUMS into a future that is brimming with possibility and success for Pakistan, for its partners and for the world.”

Mr. Husain’s entrepreneurial record spans multiple groundbreaking ventures. He founded SparkCognition, which achieved unicorn valuation under his leadership, and went on to establish Argon Mechatronics (humanoid robotics), SpecFive (mesh networking), and Navigate (data platforms). He also co-founded SkyGrid, a joint venture with Boeing focused on autonomous aviation, and created SparkCognition Government Systems (SGS), chaired by former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work. Today, he serves as Chairman of WorldQuant Foundry, supporting startups that leverage exponential technologies to solve global challenges.

A prolific inventor, Mr. Husain holds over 30 patents in AI and distributed systems. He also serves on the UT Austin Computer Science Advisory Council, the President’s Advisory Council, and the board of Global Venture Bridge, while also being a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), reflecting his deep engagement with international policy and global affairs.

Beyond his leadership in technology and entrepreneurship, Mr. Husain is an accomplished author. His works include the international bestseller The Sentient Machine, the co-authored Hyperwar: Conflict and Competition in the AI Century, and his more recent books Serious Machines, Generative AI for Leaders, and The Cybernetic Society.

Mr. Husain’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for LUMS as it strengthens its University Advisory Board to reimagine learning and knowledge creation for the Global South. His global experience, combined with the enduring support of Zaib Husain, will help position LUMS as a hub of innovation, excellence, and transformative impact for Pakistan and the world.

Islamabad, June 12, 2025 – The National Center in Big Data and Cloud Computing (NCBC) at LUMS, in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives (MoPD&SI), hosted the Pakistan Open Data Conference 2025 in Islamabad. The event marked a pivotal moment in the country’s digital transformation journey with the official launch of the National Open Data Portal (NODP).

This first-of-its-kind portal, developed by NCBC at LUMS, will serve as Pakistan’s central platform for public access to government datasets across vital sectors such as health, education, economy, environment, infrastructure, and demographics. The portal is designed to promote transparency, empower researchers and civil society, and enable data-driven policymaking and innovation.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary inaugurated the portal and commended the achievement of the NCBC and the LUMS team in making this national platform a reality. He noted that it was a great privilege to be part of the journey that led to the establishment of NCBC, which he said has played a pivotal role in building local capacity in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. He stated that “Pakistan’s development narrative will now be written in code and understood through data”, adding that leveraging digital tools is no longer optional but an urgent national priority.

He emphasized that the launch of the National Open Data Portal marks another major milestone, one that will empower policymakers, researchers, and the public by providing access to valuable, structured datasets across key sectors—supporting better decision-making, innovation, and transparency for a stronger, more data-informed Pakistan. Ahsan Iqbal concluded with a powerful message: “In a rapidly digitizing world, it is no longer enough to make declarations – we must deliver results. Let us unite – government, academia, industry, and our youth – to build a data-smart, cloud-enabled, globally competitive Pakistan. The launch of the National Open Data Portal is not the conclusion – it is the beginning of a new era”.

Dr. Naveed Arshad, Director of NCBC at LUMS, welcomed participants by highlighting the strategic importance of open data in enabling a digitally empowered Pakistan. He remarked that “data is the new oil—but unlike oil, the more we share it, the more value we unlock.” He added that the launch of the Open Data Portal is a critical investment in transparency, knowledge-sharing, and innovation for Pakistan’s digital future.

Reflecting on the establishment of NCBC at LUMS in 2018, made possible through the generous support of the Government of Pakistan, he shared that working alongside 12 partner institutions across the country has been a journey of collective growth and technical excellence. He acknowledged the dedication of all contributors to the effort, emphasizing that their commitment deserves the highest appreciation and recognition.

The conference brought together senior stakeholders from government, academia, development partners, and the tech industry for strategic discussions on the role of open data in advancing inclusive development.

The event featured live demonstrations of the portal and a high-level panel discussion titled ‘Harnessing the Power of Open Data’ with insights from industry experts including Khurram Rahat, Sardar Ikram Khan, Dr. Akbar Nasir Khan, and Salman Aslam. Discussions focused on unlocking the economic, social, and governance value of public data and building cross-sectoral collaboration for data-led solutions.

The Pakistan Open Data Conference 2025 represents a significant advancement in Pakistan’s digital governance landscape and reaffirms LUMS’ national role as a convener of thought leadership and a catalyst for innovation.

Lahore, May 5, 2025 — The Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education (SOE) at LUMS hosted its fourth annual Practicum Showcase Conference, featuring capstone projects by MPhil Education Leadership and Management students on April 28, 2025. The showcased work reflected year-long collaborative efforts with partner organisations, addressing real-world challenges in the education sector.
The conference brought together over 400 participants, including faculty members, MPhil students, senior LUMS administration, representatives from partner organisations, and education sector experts.
The one-day conference featured workshops and a gallery of student presentations across diverse fields such as pedagogy, inclusive education, leadership, educational technology, art education, community development, and early childhood education. There were multiple panel discussions that explored pressing challenges in the education sector and potential practical solutions.
Addressing an eager audience, keynote speaker Ms. Baela Raza Jamil, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi, shared, “The colonial, factory-model school system wasn’t built for the world we live in today. 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.”
At the closing ceremony, Dr. Tayyaba Tamim, Dean of SOE, reflected on the significance of academic-practitioner collaboration and the broader goals of the conference, stating, “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. 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. Finally, we must continue to strengthen the bridges between schools and universities.”

Lahore, April 28, 2025 — In a significant step towards advancing clinical legal education and student-led public service initiatives in Pakistan, the Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law (SAHSOL) at LUMS officially inaugurated the LUMS Law Clinic. The ceremony brought together legal educators, public sector representatives, faculty, students, and members of the wider legal community.

The LUMS Law Clinic is designed to equip students with real-world legal experience while promoting access to justice and legal literacy. It supports a range of pro bono services—including legal representation in family and bail matters, and the provision of legal literacy sessions in prisons—delivered in partnership with the Punjab Prisons Department and Women Crisis Center, Lahore.

The inauguration programme featured keynote remarks by Dr. Sadaf Aziz, Dean SAHSOL, and Dr. Ali Cheema, Vice Chancellor LUMS. Other speakers included Ms. Angbeen Atif Mirza (Assistant Professor, SAHSOL), Ms. Maira Mumtaz (Clinic Instructor, SAHSOL) along with contributions from Ms. Kulsoom Saqib (Director General, Punjab Women Protection Authority), Dr. Qadeer Alam (AIG Judicial, Punjab Prisons), and Barrister Usama Malik (Director, Directorate of Legal Education, Pakistan Bar Council).

Attendees heard first-hand accounts from students engaged in clinical work, sharing their profound experiences transitioning from classrooms to courts and prisons. These reflections highlighted the pedagogical and societal impact of clinical legal education. Rooted in experiential learning, the clinic enables students to translate doctrinal knowledge into meaningful legal practice, particularly for marginalized and underserved communities.

The launch concluded with a closing note by Dr. Parvez Hassan (Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of Pakistan and Founding Member of LUMS) followed by a networking session in the law school garden.
This landmark initiative aims to elevate the standard of professional legal education in Pakistan while reaffirming LUMS’ unwavering commitment to legal innovation, public service and social responsibility.

Pakistan is one of the top ten countries with the highest adoption of digital assets but lacks a regulatory framework. The Government of Pakistan has recently announced the intent to regulate technology to support the ecosystem and has set up a Pakistan Crypto Council. As an emerging institution, the Center will provide a place for policy research and training, incubation and testing of technologies, and collaboration opportunities for technology students, entrepreneurs, industry, and the government.

To mark its official launch, CeDAR hosted an international conference at LUMS to enable connection, knowledge transfer, and collaboration between global experts in the Web 3.0 ecosystem and the regulatory and governmental organisations in Pakistan. The CEOs and senior management of leading global companies such as Zodia Markets (based in the UK and UAE, and owned by Standard Chartered Bank), Haruko (based in the UK and Singapore), Scope Markets (UK), Klickl (UAE), Dragonstone Capital (China), Binance, Fasset (UAE), attended the event, along with leading domestic fintech companies and Venture Capital funds such as Abhi Bank, KTrade, TPL, Brillianz Group, Alfalah Investments, Zayn VC, and NayaPay.

“LUMS has always been a hub of cutting-edge research and innovations, and I am proud to have a long association with the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering. Crypto networks are likely the biggest tech resolution since the internet itself. This new collaboration on crypto not just strengthens my association with LUMS but can prepare the next generation of engineers and entrepreneurs to architect the next generation of the internet by leveraging the blockchain technology”, said Dr. Muneeb Ali. The event highlighted the importance of industry-government collaboration to accelerate blockchain adoption and enhance financial inclusion in Pakistan.

The conference facilitated roundtable conversations with leaders from key domestic stakeholders such as the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), and the Pakistan Banking Council.

The event covered key topics such as ways to ensure compliance and regulation for the industry, the utilisation of excess energy for digital asset mining, how digital assets fit in for investment allocation, and how Pakistan can best develop a technical workforce for such technologies.

With CeDAR now operational, LUMS is positioned as a leading hub for blockchain education and research, offering immense opportunities for innovation and development in Pakistan’s tech sector.

Lahore, February 23rd, 2025: Dr. Nadhra Shahbaz Khan, an art historian and Associate Professor at LUMS, has been awarded the Ordre des Palmes Académiques, one of France’s highest academic honours and their oldest non-military decoration. Her work in generating deep interest in French culture and arts among her students through her courses on French art and Lahore’s heritage, has been instrumental for reviving Lahore’s forgotten French heritage, particularly through a funerary monument known as the Kuri Bagh.

Hidden between Lahore’s bustling streets and modern high-rises, the remnants of Kuri Bagh in Old Anarkali quietly tell a poignant story of love, loss, and heritage. Lahore was once home to General Jean-François Allard, a French officer in Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s army. General Allard’s daughter Marie Charlotte died in early infancy during his time of service in Punjab, and her tomb in the “Kuri Bagh’ stands as a symbol of a father’s love Urban expansion, however, has brought it to the brink of disappearance.

Determined to revive interest in this overlooked heritage site, Dr. Nadhra and her students undertook a class project to reimagine Kuri Bagh in a contemporary context. This initiative sparked conversations beyond the classroom, reaching the French Embassy and ultimately leading to several discussions and presentations with the French Cultural Attaché and Jean-Marie Lafont, an eminent French historian who brought this tomb to attention in the 1980s. Her 2022 class of French Art showcased their creative projects in a well-curated exhibition at LUMS, highlighting multiple themes connecting Pakistani and French art and aesthetics.

On February 22, at a ceremony hosted by Alliance Française in Lahore, Dr. Nadhra was conferred the Ordre des Palmes Académiques. His Excellency Nicolas Galey, Ambassador of France to Pakistan, commended Dr. Nadhra, stating, “It is with gratitude that we honour your contributions to the celebration of French culture. We hope you keep showcasing the historical culture of France and Pakistan through art and architecture in this beautiful city of Lahore.”

Accepting the award, Dr. Nadhra remarked, “Art history has been instrumental in shaping my worldview, introducing me to different cultures and belief systems, and to people I would not have otherwise known.”

She also honoured General Allard, saying, “We have a hero resting here among us, and we must pay homage to him by ensuring this home is visited frequently and his memory stays fresh in our hearts. These acts of acknowledgment pave the way for connecting with not only our history and heritage but also teach us to celebrate shared values for a more inclusive present and a promising future.”

This prestigious recognition is a powerful testament to the role of humanities in bridging cultures, preserving shared histories, and ensuring that forgotten stories are brought back to life.