Beaconhouse hosts the 15th Edition of the ‘School of Tomorrow’ Conference – ‘Guardians of the Future’.

Beaconhouse, the country’s largest network of private educational institutions, has launched the 15^th edition of its flagship ‘School of Tomorrow’ (SOT) Event series today in Lahore, marking the 47^th anniversary of the Beaconhouse Group.

The three-day event, themed ‘Guardians of the Future’ will host over 150 global and local thought leaders from various sectors, including education, development, healthcare, technology and digital media, for insightful panel discussions on a multitude of topics relevant to the youth and varying factors impacting the general public.

Over the last four decades Beaconhouse has been a committed advocate for the rights of children and encourages young people to be active participants in their learning, and be viewed as guardians of the future:  the next generations of mentors and leaders within their families, communities, and nations.

Taking the narrative forward, the first on-ground SOT conference in four years, includes 40 plus sessions ranging from panel discussions on the future of education, the global economy, climate change and technology to interesting interactions with thought leaders including Jeffrey Archer (best-selling author), Dr Faisal Bari (Dean, LUMS School of Education), Ron Berger (Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education), Sean Covey (President, Franklin Covey Education), Salima Hashmi (Founding Dean of the Mariam Dawood School of Visual Art & Design, BNU), John Hattie (internationally acclaimed Researcher and Professor), Kamran Lashari (DG, Walled City Lahore Authority), Syeda Arfa Zehra (Educationist and Human Rights Activist), Samina Baig (High-altitude Mountaineer), Shae Gill (internationally renowned singer), Ali Xeeshan (leading Fashion Designer), and Hasan Sheheryar Yasin (iconic Fashion Designer and TV Host).

Speaking about the conference, Kasim Kasuri, Event Chair and CEO of Beaconhouse, said; “we are excited to bring School of Tomorrow back to Lahore after 6 years — our XVth edition since 2000! The aim of SOT Events is to catalyse conversations around the future of learning, climate change, technology, arts and culture, entrepreneurship, and inclusion. Edition XV of SOT is called ‘Guardians of the Future’ and is dedicated to the youth, who are the true custodians of our future. We hope to promote communities that value the rights of children and, in doing so, promote globally-minded, critical thinkers who will not only be our leaders of tomorrow but also contributors to making the world a peaceful place for everyone — despite our differences.”

The conference will also feature two unique exhibits including Classrooms of Tomorrow, an interactive space on the future of learning curated by Google and Beaconhouse EdTech, and Co-exist/Co-exit: the future was today – an immersive art experience curated by Rashid Rana and Risham Syed and presented by the School of Visual Arts & Design, Beaconhouse National University.

Continuing its association with SOT, United Bank Limited (UBL) is the lead sponsor for SOT XV for the third year in a row. Being a socially conscientious corporate citizen, UBL’s ideology revolves around having an affirmative and lasting impact on the communities it operates in. Therefore, this partnership is a testament to UBL’s constant support towards quality education and initiatives driven to create a more balanced and inclusive educational ecosystem in the country. Other key sponsors include My BackPack, Emkay Books and Paramount Books.

The SOT Event was open for public on Saturday 5^th November and Sunday 6^th November 2022 at Beaconhouse-Newlands, Phase VI, Lahore.

About the Beaconhouse Group: Beaconhouse traces its roots to the Les Anges Montessori Academy, founded in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1975. Now in its 47^th year, the Beaconhouse network caters to the education and training needs of a large and diverse group of individuals of varying ages, backgrounds and nationalities, in Pakistan, Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Beaconhouse is a learning organisation that takes pride in its past while nurturing a culture of continuous professional development, self-reflection and reinvention.

About School of Tomorrow: Beaconhouse initiated ‘School of Tomorrow’ as a series of events to support the organization’s efforts to redefine the education system in Pakistan. It believes in cherishing its history and promotes a culture of ongoing professional growth, introspection, and reinvention which is the motivation behind all SOT Events. The Beaconhouse Group has a 47-year history in the education sector and currently have over 315,000 full-time students in more than 190 private school branches across eight different countries.

Book Launch: Siraj-ud-din Aziz’s ‘The Art & Craft of Management’ launched.

Seasoned banker Siraj-ud-din Aziz in collaboration with PathFinder Group & Paramount Books hosted the launch ceremony of his seventh book titled as ‘The Art & Craft of Management’ on Friday 13^th March 2020 at Pearl Continental Hotel here in Karachi. This impressive book launch ceremony was widely attended by bankers, members of literary and academic circles, socialites and selected members of press.

Former Governor of State Bank of Pakistan Dr. Shamshad Akhtar in her foreword for Siraj-ud-din Aziz’s seventh book ‘The Art & Craft of Management’ wrote; “Mr. Aziz has written it real interesting, practical and easy read. He keeps the readers engaged with practical knowledge and hands-on experience. It is an inclusive repertoire of guidance on the do’s and don’ts of management that is driven by the valuable insight that he has garnered over his illustrious career”.

“This book can be beneficial for professionals from all walks of life and every rung of seniority can find some topic to benefit from. It offers understanding of corporate practices for new and seasoned leaders alike. Professionals will find valuable experiences and tips as they read this book”, she concluded.

The author of the book ‘The Art & Craft of Management’, Siraj-ud-din Aziz also spoke his heart and said; “this book contains articles written over a period of two years. Many of the subjects written are a consequence of what I saw, heard or experienced. No incident or any story in this book is either imaginary or a figment of fiction. They are real live drama that is enacted on the shop floor.”

Siraj-ud-din Aziz said further said; “being an actor and a spectator for over four decades on the corporate stage, I have written from what I experienced, what I witnessed and what I heard across several organizations in different geographies.”

“Being blessed to have worked at locations that offered multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-racial and multi-ethnicity settings, helped me immensely to accept, absorb, and imbibe the beauty of diversity in a working environment”, he concluded.

Other distinguished speakers who spoke their heart out for Siraj-ud-din Aziz’s book were Miraj-ud-din Aziz author’s brother, Nadiya Chishti Mujahid Professor for Social Science & Liberal Arts, Javed Jabbar Senator/former Federal Minister, Ikram Sehgal Chairman PathFinder Group/Defence Analyst and the Chief Guest of this launch ceremony Mr. Yaseen Anwar former Governor State Bank of Pakistan.