Innovation and Enterprise

Dr. Tauqeer Abbas, Associate Dean of Innovation and Enterprise, has briefed the vision for industrial partnership in a presentation, please have a look:

Department of Physics

The Physlab, which is Dr. Muhammad Sabieh Anwar's research group in the Department of Physics, actively develops technology for education and research. The startup Qosain Scientific has translated some of the work done in the laboratory to the production of commercial gadgets, devices and instruments that can be employed both inside the laboratory as well as in industrial settings. 

For further details: Qosain.pk | Physlab.org

Department of Electrical Engineering

Philosophy

Engineering education has traditionally focused on the model-based understanding of the fundamental principles that govern the working of our universe. In most cases, the scope of a particular course is limited to its defined boundaries and system-level aspects that cut across course boundaries become harder to grasp. Students, even those dedicated to the learning process, are sometimes unable to relate the classroom learning to the real-world considerations of a commercial organization and industry. This important gap can be bridged through industry-academia linkages which allow the students to look at the application of their learning to solving real-world problems.

Modes of Engagement

In the following, a few modes of engagement are listed in which collaboration between LUMS and industry can be explored:

1- Customized short trainings/workshops for Scientists/Engineers: EE faculty members can design customized short courses and workshops for employees of a company based on their needs and requirements communicated by them in advance.

2- MS/PhD Program for Employees: Many organizations have focus on Research and Development (R&D) and they invest on these aspects of their Human Resource. Such organizations can sponsor their employees to pursue higher studies (MS or PhD) at LUMS. The candidates would need to pass the LUMS admission test. The faculty should be allowed to publish research or file joint patents after getting approval from the company.

3- Industrial Sponsored MS Program (Company Scholars): A company can select candidates through interviews or any other suitable mechanism from the cohort of graduate students inducted in EE program. The fee, research expenses and nominal stipend for selected candidates will be paid by the company for two years. Selected candidates may or may not enter into a contract (depending upon the Company’s policy/requirement) for serving the company after graduation. Such students may be called “COMPANY Scholars” (e.g., SUPARCO Scholars). 

4- Industrial Sponsored PhD Program (Company Fellows): If a company plans to explore a long-term fundamental research problem, it can consider funding PhD program (tuition fee + research expenses and stipend). These candidates would be called “Company Fellows” (e.g. NESCOM Fellows). Selected candidates may or may not enter into a contract (depending upon the Company’s policy/requirement) for serving the company after graduation. PhD program aims to develop technical scholarship by performing fundamental research. 

5- Research Projects: Faculty members can also get engaged with a company through research projects. A company can identify specific projects/problems of interest and discuss them with the interested faculty and in turn, the faculty members will submit research proposals or feasibility reports. These projects are typically applied in nature with a possibility of research as a side product. The duration of these projects could be typically from 1 to 3 years (could vary depending upon the nature of the project). Typically, in such projects, full-time RAs are hired with the possibility of partial funding of MS or PhD students. The faculty should be allowed to publish research or file joint patents after getting approval from the company.

6- Consultancy: A company can also engage EE faculty in consultancy mode. These are mainly short-term engagements with little or no possibility of research publication. The IP is completely owned by the company.

7- Senior Year Design Projects: A company can sponsor senior design projects of EE students on certain short-term problems that the company wants to explore. The project scope should be of 9 months at least with an understanding that 8-10 hours of work in a week can be performed because of students’ other academic engagements.

8- Internship Program: A company can offer internships to a certain number of EE students during the summer. This will be a 12-week long engagement. If worked out earlier, the work assigned to the internee may also result in a senior design project.

Dr. Wasif Tanveer Khan

Dr. Hassan Mohy-ud-Din

Department of Computer Science

Dr. Naveed Arshad

Dr. Asim Karim

Dr. Hamad Alizai

The natural gas crisis in Pakistan behoves us to find innovative ways to improve consumption efficiency. In light of this, Dr. Hamad Alizai, Assistant Professor and Head of the Internet of Things (IoT) lab at LUMS, is working with a dedicated team of researchers to develop natural gas-saving devices and technologies. Dr. Hamad has also has joined forces with Dr. Nouman Ahmed Zaffar and 'Zaheen Machines' to introduce the concept of a smart geyser called Ashray. Dr. Nouman Ahmed Zaffar, who is currently Associate Professor and Director of Energy and ower Systems at the Department of Electrical Engineering in LUMS, will work on the power electronics of Ashray.

Ashray is the extension of an existing product of Zaheen Machines known as Jul Bujh; a programmable geyser thermostat that allows users to control the temperature settings of the geysers through a smartphone app. One of the main aims behind the design of Ashray is to minimise gas wastage which will help us save millions of rupees in foreign exchange that are otherwise spent on the import of liquid gas.

Dr. Fareed Zafar

Dr. Murtaza Taj

Department of Life Sciences 

Dr. Safee Ullah Chaudhary

Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Dr. Irshad Hussain

Dr. Salman Noshear Arshad

Dr. Rahman Shah Zaib Saleem

Project Briefs for TDF

Technology Development Fund (TDF) is a national scheme launched by the Higher Education Commission whose aim is to foster linkages between the academia and the industry.