RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: The Institute of Business Administration (IBA) on Saturday held its annual convocation at its main campus to confer degrees to 926 graduates, here Saturday.

The graduating batch included 664 undergraduate students from six programs, 261 post-graduate students from eight programs and one Ph.D. scholar. It is the largest graduating batch in the 63-year history of the IBA (Karachi).

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms and Austerity, Dr Ishrat Husain, was chief guest of the Convocation 2018 where IBA Karachi’s Executive Director Karachi Dr Farrukh Iqbal congratulated all the graduating students and their families.

Dr Iqbal said that the IBA had a reputation for delivering quality education that was partly due to admissions characterized by selectivity, teaching characterized by discipline and examinations characterized by integrity.

“In part, the institute’s reputation also rests on the success achieved by its graduates in professional careers,” he said, citing that an outcome measure of quality for the IBA students is the salary level that they attract upon graduation. However, he clarified that the grades and jobs are not all to life but service to the community is also important. Hence, many educationists feel that one of the principal purposes of acquiring knowledge is to serve society. “IBA plays its part in inculcating the sense of public responsibility by responsible citizen requirement, the requirement that each and every student complete a social internship during his or her passage through the Institute. It exposes students to various social concerns,” he noted.

The chief guest Dr Husain lauded the progress of the IBA in the last decade.

“I get feedback from the market that IBA graduates are distinguished not only on merit, but they also exhibit highest ethical values in their conduct,” he said, urging the graduates to show compassion towards their fellow beings. He asked them to be prepared for an uncertain future.

He said the knowledge and skills you have acquired would soon become obsolete and outdated but only those who are continuously recharging their mental batteries and reequipping themselves with new tools are likely to succeed.

The position holders were presented cash prizes, medals, shields and certificates of merit. It is the first time the institute gave shields for excellence in sports as well. Performance awards were given to the staff and faculty, including the Best Teacher and Best Researcher award.