The Gurmani Centre for Languages and Literature (GCLL) was established in 2010 as a unique platform for promoting and celebrating all forms of culture that represent the people of Pakistan in particular, and of South Asia in general. Holding the vernaculars very close to its heart, the center has made great progress over the past decade to reestablish several severed links with a number of tangible and intangible fields languages cultivate. From poetry and prose, drama, music and dance to calligraphy, paintings and photography, the center has appreciated and showcased almost every art form. The credit for these achievements goes to the center’s former directors and co-directors that include Yasmeen Hameed, Ghulam Moeenuddin Nizami, Kamran Asdar Ali and Bilal Tanweer—and the competent team members who have all added brilliance to its luster in their own unique ways.
Nadhra Shahbaz Khan
Director (2021–Present)
As GCLL’s current director, I will be aiming at broadening its scope and opening its space for all forms of aesthetic activities informed by regional languages and literature. Working alongside the excellent team, I would like to develop the center as an inviting avenue for students to express themselves in their native languages, a prestigious platform that brings together scholars representing different linguistic communities, and as a creative space that practitioners serving the art and heritage industries can delightfully make their own. I am sure the center and LUMS will soon be able to assert their presence as a hub of cultural and creative economy, both in Pakistan and the region.
Meet Our Team
Language Pedagogy Coordinator
Writer in Residence
In-house Calligrapher
Assistant Manager
Graphic Designer
Editorial Assistant (Bunyad)
Podcast Manager
Website Designer & Manager
Yasmeen Hameed
Founding Director (2010–2016)
I am a poet and a translator, and I joined LUMS in 2007. My experience at the university was two-fold: As an instructor directly involved with students and as the founding director of GCLL (2010–2016) which involved a lot of administrative work. What I liked most about LUMS was its body of students, their keen interactive minds, their level of competence and their capacity to learn.
