LUMS Reopening: A big question
Lahore, 23rd August: Reopening of the Lahore Institute of Management and Sciences (LUMS) has become a matter of concern under the circumstances.
According to the report of Baaghi TV, a rapid decline of COVID-19 cases in Pakistan is a positive development. However, reopening campus at this time also imposes risks that extend beyond just the students, and can have serious consequences.
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The statement from the LUMS administration has come after the increasing protest by the student body to open the university when all other institutions across the country will reopen from the 15th of September 2020.
Reopening LUMS? Why We Are Doing What We Are Doing#LUMShttps://t.co/lJzj7oWWxM
— Parhlo (@parhlo) August 22, 2020
According to Ali Khan, the Dean & Associate Professor Anthropology Department, LUMS has established its Health and Safety Committee in June 2020 at the height of the pandemic in Pakistan in order to consider ways in which the campus could be re-opened if and when conditions permitted.
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The committee was led by health specialists including Dr. Samia Altaf, an internationally recognized public health physician who has now joined LUMS as Director of Campus Health and Safety; and Dr. Shaper Mirza who is an Associate Professor at the School of Science and Engineering, LUMS and specializes in epidemiology, immunology, and bacterial pathogenesis. She was also involved with the team that advised the Government of Punjab on the smart lockdown strategy in Lahore.
The committee also maintained close communication with the DHA authorities and local hospitals and graveyards.
In the last month, Pakistan has seen a reduction in coronavirus cases, which has surprised experts as well as many organizations, and institutions including universities.
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However, it has been observed globally that whenever caution has been discarded prematurely the consequences have been severe and the disease has re-emerged.
It has also been observed that the virus starts to spread rapidly when human beings cluster together, as is shown by the recent resurgence of infections in countries like South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Greece, France, Spain, and Germany, that have been infection free for months or have had very low infection rates.
In the US, some universities have had to close days after opening owing to the fact that the cases reemerged when a large number of young population congregated on the campus and the hostels.
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LUMS is adopting a guarded approach as the likelihood of universities being high-risk areas, but this does not mean that the University is not committed to re-opening its campus.
The next few months will be crucial in deciding whether Pakistan is over the worst or is lulled into complacency by a temporary phase.
According to the university administration, “LUMS recognizes that we have to find a way to try and keep our community safe while fulfilling our role as an academic institution. It benefits no one for the university to remain closed – students suffer, faculty, suffer, and staff suffers.”
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However, reopening the campus also imposes risks that extend beyond students to the faculty who teach them and the many university employees who come into close daily contact with them.
A young and healthy person may not be at risk but could be a risk to others. Minimizing the risks becomes mandatory for the institution.
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Keeping all this in mind, LUMS’ plan is for a phased opening starting with manageable numbers of students on campus by September 15th, 2020. As there will be limited numbers allowed, students will need to be prioritized – those without connectivity, Ph.D. students having to complete their degrees as well as a number of other vulnerable groups.
If things go according to the plans, and students, faculty, and staff are able to cooperate, follow SOPs, thereby minimizing the risks of an uncontrolled outbreak, the University will be in a much better position to build on that success and increase the subsequent number on campus on a rolling basis.
Stay tuned to Baaghi TV for more updates!
