Meet the 'Heroes': Students Win Top Awards at World Youth Festival in Russia

Two Economics students at LUMS, Syed Muhammad Sarim Gillani (BSc 2024) and Muhammad Muqsit Nadeem (BSc 2024) have emerged as the ‘Heroes’ of the World Youth Festival! They have secured both of the top honours at this prestigious event held from March 1-7 in Sochi, Russia. Recognised as the ‘Hero of the Festival’ and ‘Hero of the Day’ respectively, Sarim and Muqsit represented Pakistan in front of 20,000 participants from over 180 countries.

In this inaugural session, the festival provided a platform for youth from around the globe to converge, exchange ideas, develop solutions for social problems, and contribute to building a fair world. Throughout the week, participants had the chance to explore the city, view different exhibitions, experience cultural programmes, and participate in competitions. The festival attracted a wide audience – athletes, academics, public figures, influencers and more - but our students emerged as the real stars!

After a rigorous selection process where applicants pitched ideas for enhancing various sectors, Sarim and Muqsit were chosen to participate in the ‘Creating Your Future City’ competition, alongside 3,000 other hopefuls. Progressing through subsequent rounds, both secured spots in the final shortlist of 50 individuals. These finalists were then divided into five teams of ten to compete for a chance to present their project on the global stage in front of over a thousand people.

“Sarim and I were in different teams, and coincidentally each of us was chosen to lead our respective group. Since the conference was ultimately about creating young leaders, a team of observers from the festival assessed us throughout the competition on our leadership, negotiation, and communication skills. I think the exposure and experience we get at LUMS really prepared us to stand out in that setting,” shared Muqsit.

Each team was given a 5-minute slot to present their idea, with the winner to be determined by popular vote. Impressively, over 25,000 individuals cast their vote, with Muqsit’s team securing victory by an overwhelming 60% majority. The organisers were so impressed by his performance that they awarded him the title, ‘Hero of the Day’ and invited him to participate in a local morning show.

“When Muqsit won, we both were so happy because we felt we had done all we could and made the most of this opportunity,” said Sarim. “Then, one of the observers reached out to me and told me that he has nominated me for ‘Hero of the Festival’. About 10 candidates, including me, were asked to give an impromptu speech about our experience, and the best presenter would be named the winner.”

The organisers unanimously selected Sarim for the award. In addition to being honoured with the title, he was invited to deliver his speech at the closing ceremony, where attendees included the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

“Presenting in front of 20,000 people was the most energising experience of my life. The crowd was so responsive. During my speech, I was able to say ‘alhumdulillah’ and have the audience repeat it after me. I felt so proud to be able to represent Pakistan and LUMS on such a visible platform,” said Sarim.

“If only one of us had been recognised at some point, we both would have been completely satisfied. But for each of us to compete individually and be selected out of thousands of talented individuals from around the world is incredible. No other country at the festival had participants who won both top awards,” added Muqsit.

The experience has already opened several opportunities for them. They have been offered positions to assist the Russian city development committee to inculcate plans involving youth. They have also been offered ambassadorship for Prime Minister’s Youth Programme for their efforts in representing Pakistan globally.

What’s next for these two ‘Heroes’? The future is already bright: Sarim has been accepted to the University of Cambridge, where he is set to begin his MPhil degree this Fall. Meanwhile, Synergy University, one of the top institutions in Moscow, have offered Muqsit to be their ambassador in Pakistan.

LUMS congratulates Sarim and Muqsit and wishes them both all the best in their future endeavours.