Some years ago many UET Alumni together formed a conversation group to reminisce about their time at UET with highlights of their careers, and personal anecdotes, as a way of creating affinities through socialization known as gup shup. In view of Covid-19 restrictions on travel and face-to-face gatherings, the group arranged weekly Zoom meetings. At each meeting one of the UET alumnus appeared as a guest to describe personal life and professional experiences. The group consisted of engineers in Pakistan, the United States and Canada. Out of this gup shup, there arose a desire to reach out to UET to explore the possibilities for assisting UET in achieving its goals of excellence in engineering education. The initial focus was on suggestions for changes in curriculum based on perceived contemporary needs through courses such as Communication Skills for Engineers and Engineering Project Management. On request from the UET Vice Chancellor, a document was produced on Communication Skills for Engineers that included Learning Outcomes, Outline, required and advisory Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Learning Activities, Etiquette and Ethics, Week-by-Week Scheduling, Extensive Notes, Textbook Guide, and Sample quizzes, tests and assignments. This document was well received by UET. Shorter versions of documents were also produced for courses on Project Management, Engineering Economics and Artificial Intelligent for Engineers.

Thought processes within the group resulted in a proposal to form an Endowment Foundation for UET Lahore. Substantial pledges have been received to finance the Foundation.

The group is very passionate for sharing the outcomes of our years of practical experience in research, academia and industry, and the group believes that we can strengthen engineering education at our alma mater. We are working in parallel on two-point agenda, one to make suggestions for non-technical curriculum improvements based on our experiences, and two to set up UET specific Endowment Fund,
representing wider section of alumni, such that the principal amount is protected perpetually, with some exceptions, and only the return thereof is budgeted to support endowment directed activity. The fund size is significant enough to bring about a qualitative change for future generations of UET students and Faculty in their instructional activities including R&D.

Generally, universities actively pursue contacts with their alumni, informing them about their activities and achievements with full awakening about their contemporary and emerging challenges. Universities reach out to their alumni, appealing to them for donations for activities and projects focused on excellence in engineering education, entrepreneurship, professional development and research. This is precisely the awakening that has to happen at UET Lahore.

According to reports, some 30% of UET Lahore alumni are working abroad in the United States, Canada, European Union, the Middle East and many other countries around the world. This is a tremendous number that has the potential for financial and technical support and thereby to assist UET in achieving its mission of excellence in engineering education with all accompanying facets.