Fostering Social Innovation through Education: UNODC Faculty Delegation

The Centre for Business and Society (CBS) at LUMS hosted a distinguished faculty delegation comprising 40 faculty members from 22 public sector universities across Pakistan. The delegation visited as part of the Faculty Development Program (FDP), an initiative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) under its project on Countering Violent Extremism and Promoting Social Cohesion through Social Entrepreneurship.

The interactive session was held at Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB) on October 15, 2025. The event was opened by Dr. Misbah Tanveer (Director, CBS) who spoke about CBS’ mandate in promoting social entrepreneurship through various flagship programmes rooted in business and life skills, tailored for beneficiaries based in underserved communities of Pakistan. The session featured other leading SDSB-LUMS faculty members who shared their experiences in fostering entrepreneurial thinking, social innovation, and civic leadership among students. Discussions centered on how universities can play a transformative role in promoting social impact and inclusion, through entrepreneurial education.

The faculty that led the session featured, Dr. Ghulam Ali Arain (Associate Professor, SDSB-LUMS), Dr. Fazal Jawad (Professor, SDSB-LUMS), Dr. Syed Zahoor Hassan (Professor Emeritus, SDSB-LUMS), Dr. Shakeel Sadiq Jajja (Professor, SDSB-LUMS), Dr. Misbah Tanveer (Assistant Professor, SDSB-LUMS) and Dr. Shehryar Shahid (Associate Professor, SDSB-LUMS). 

Participants engaged in an open dialogue around designing curricula and pedagogical approaches that inspire innovative entrepreneurial mindsets in young people. The discussion also revolved around academic collaboration towards developing social innovation learning modules, joint research, and capacity-building programs that strengthen higher education’s role in driving sustainable and inclusive entrepreneurship development in Pakistan.