IoBM confers degrees on 954 students at 19th convocation

The Institute of Business Management (IoBM) conferred 954 degrees in various disciplines during its 19th convocation held at its campus on Saturday.

The degrees were conferred in the disciplines of actuarial science and risk management, computer science, accountancy, management and law, commerce, media studies, industrial engineering and management, management and information technology, advertising and media management, educational management, environment and energy management, finance and risk management, health and hospital management, industrial management, logistics and supply chain management, media management, telecommunication management and organizational psychology and human resource management.

As many as 10 MS degrees were awarded in computer science and mathematics and scientific computing while two PhD degrees were awarded in business management and education. During the convocation ceremony, 11 outstanding students were awarded with gold medals while 27 graduates received certificates of merit.

The gold medals were awarded to Kashmala Riaz, BBA (Honours), (S. H. Hashmi Memorial Gold Medal); Huma Nasir, BBA (Honours), (Westbury Group of Companies Gold Medal); Muhammad Ammad Afzal, BE (Electrical), (Imam Ali Kazi Memorial Gold Medal); Basit Saleem, BS (Actuarial Science and Risk Management), (Halima Fatima Memorial Gold Medal); Kiran Nadeem, BS (Computer Science), (Karachi Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR) Gold Medal); Merym Saudagar, BS (Media Studies), (Orient McCann Gold Medal); Marina Arif, MBA (Regular), (Janmohammad Dawood Gold Medal); Shezza Razzaque Khan, MBA (Evening), (Shan Foods Gold Medal); Mohammad Noman Ovais, MBA (Weekend), (Standard Chartered Gold Medal); Muhammad Kashif Amin, MBA (Industrial Management), (Tabba Foundation Gold Medal) and Shahzad Maher Ali, MBA (Health and Hospital Management), (Dr. Essa’s Laboratory Gold Medal).

The certificates of merit were awarded to BBA (Honours) students: Aban Ali, Farooq Ali, Mushkbar Arshad, Mahrooh Farid, Mahira Hafesjee, Aisha Hanif, Areeba Raza Khan, Abeer Fatima Kirmani, Zehra Nadeem, Maria Ashraf, Urooj Rafiq Jaffer, Amna Rafiq and Komal Shakil.

Furthermore, Ahmed Rehman Khan from BE (Electrical) and Ahsan Hayat, MBA (EEM); Maryam Asim, MBA (MHM); Misbah Amin, BS (Computer Science); Kanwal Saleem and Mohammad Hassan, MPhil (Organisational Psychology); Farhan Iqbal, MPhil (Business Management); Fatima Tazeen Athar, MPhil (Education); Zeenar Salim Shairdose, BS (Media Studies); Irma Masood, MS (SSC); Muhammad Shahbaz Khan, PhD (Education); Shelina Bhamani, PhD (Business Mgmt.); and Muhammad Adnan Bashir were also among the recipients.

Amna Raheel of BS Commerce programme received a standing ovation and a warm round of applause from the faculty members, students and parents when her name was called to award a degree. Due to birth complication, Amna was facing serious physical challenges and use a wheelchair for her mobility. However, with the help of her determination and commitment, she completed her studies, and attended the convocation with other classmates.

She told The News that it took her six years to finish her education instead of four years but she was pleased to have had complete support of teaching and non-teaching staff as well as classmates and others at the campus. She is working in a local advertising agency.

Muhammad Kashif Amin, one of the gold medalists, shared that he completed his graduated from Taxila and as he was a government employee, he was transferred to Karachi after which he took admission in MBA (Industrial Management) programme.

“The visiting faculty at the campus were well experienced as all of them work at higher post in multi-national organisations. They used to share about needs and trends of market and transfer their work-based knowledge among students, to make them most appropriate candidates for the jobs available outside.”

Another gold medalist, Mohammad Noman Ovais, of MBA (Weekend) programme told The News that the IoBM had good reputation in the market and alumni of the university used to help out fresh graduates by offering jobs on attracting packages.

“I am already on job and have been attached with a technology-oriented firm for the last five years. During my studies I have found it to be a good place for people who want to continue their studies along with their professions.”

The chairman of the Higher Education Commission, Professor Dr Mukhtar Ahmed, provincial education minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar, Habib Metropolitan Bank Limited President and CEO Sirajuddin Aziz were among others who attended the convocation.

Dr Mukhtar Ahmed emphasised the objective of a university should be imparting education, personality grooming and career-focused training. He underscored the significance of investing in education towards knowledge economy in order to address socio-economic problems.

Faculty or teachers, as such, were the “philosophers’ stone” in shaping lives of the young generation and their efforts had added value to graduates’ excelling with flying colours, he said.