A Lasting Tribute: Scholarship and Lounge Established in Aqsa Kashaf’s Honour

LUMS is honoured to announce the establishment of the Aqsa Kashaf Memorial Scholarship, created in memory of the late Aqsa Kashaf (BS Computer Science, Class of 2016), an alumna whose intellect and determination left a lasting impact on all who knew her.

Established by Aqsa’s family, the scholarship will support undergraduate students in the Computer Science Department at the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE). It is a meaningful tribute that aims to realise Aqsa’s desire to give back to her homeland and uplift her community by educating and mentoring future generations.

Before she could achieve this goal, Aqsa tragically passed away in December 2024, leaving behind a legacy of love, hard work and academic distinction. During her time at LUMS, she distinguished herself as a high-achieving student, a dedicated teaching assistant, and a talented researcher whose work was published in leading academic journals. She later pursued a PhD at Carnegie Mellon University, where she achieved numerous awards from international organisations and universities for her trailblazing work in computer and network security. After graduating, she worked as a Systems and Security Engineer at ByteDance.

In addition to the scholarship, one of the student lounges in the Computer Science Department will be named the ‘Aqsa Kashaf Lounge’, a space that will honour her memory and serve as a lasting reminder of her contributions to the LUMS community.

Through their support for Computer Science students, Aqsa’s family is carrying forward her legacy in the very field where she once thrived. In doing so, they are ensuring that her passion, purpose, and potential live on through the students supported by this scholarship. It will open doors for bright young minds who, like Aqsa, dream of using their education to make a meaningful impact.

“Though we are sad and devastated by her loss, we take solace in the hope that she is being hosted in the best of manners by the All Merciful, and is happy that her vision and plans live on. We request those who read this, and those who benefit from this scholarship, to please say a prayer for Aqsa Kashaf, a loving wife, a dutiful daughter, and beloved sister and aunt.”

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Aqsa’s family for honouring her memory in such a profound and lasting way. We are also deeply grateful to the CS Alumni Network for their support in making this initiative possible.