‘Regulations for business schools must change to allow needed flexibility’

The second day of the 5th Deans and Directors Annual conference started off with a panel discussion that revolved around “Sustainable Business Schools in Challenging Times” and addressed notions of how globalisation and market forces were impacting the business world, according to a press release issued by the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) on Tuesday.

The panel was moderated by Dr Huma Baqai, associate dean of the IBA, and consisted of eminent speakers such as Dr Farrukh Iqbal, dean and director of the IBA, Prof Dr Tahir Ali, dean of the Faculty of Management and Administrative Sciences at the University of Karachi, Talib Syed Karim, president of the Institute of Business Management (IoBM), Dr Wasim Kazi, vice chancellor of Iqra University, Seema Mughal, vice chancellor of Greenwich University, and Dr Nisar Ahmed Siddiqui, vice chancellor of the Sukkur IBA.

Commenting on the changing market needs, Dr Farrukh Iqbal said, “Rising costs and changing market needs imply that business schools should become more agile and flexible with respect to course content, teaching methods, faculty deployment and programme duration. They also imply that regulations pertaining to business schools must change to allow the needed flexibility.”

Workshops on the second day included capacity building relating to refining peer review skills and deans along with seminars delivered by Dr Christophe Terrasse, director of Projects European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), Stephen Sacca, CEO of Global Business School Networks, USA, Jean-Baptiste Maillard, manager for International Projects Department at European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), Belgium, and Javed Hamid, senior advisor at the International Executive Service Corps, USA.

The 5th Deans and Directors Annual Conference, organised by the National Business Education Accreditation Council (NBEAC) of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), commenced on February 5 at Pearl Continental Hotel, Karachi.

The first day of the conference had plenary sessions and workshops that addressed topics such as leveraging Karachi for the CPEC, shifting roles of business schools in society, and addressing issues of accreditation.

Designed to increase the effectiveness of business education in Pakistan, the conference brought together more than 100 deans and directors of national and international business schools to engage in strategic level discussions.

The conference aimed at actualising its anticipated outcomes that include developing policy and process recommendations for aligning business education with local and global needs; identifying actions to meet the emerging challenges in business education to make it more relevant for Pakistan; and, recommending policy framework and actions for quality improvements in different areas of business education.

The two-day moot was chaired by NBEAC Chairman Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad, while Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair graced the conference with his presence as the chief guest. Concluding with the 19th NBEAC Council meeting, the conference showcased well-structured plenary sessions, capacity development workshops and quality service seminars.

Impact with CPEC

Over 140 business schools were represented at the 5th Deans & Directors Conference organised by the National Business Education Accreditation Council (NBEAC) of the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

Entitled ‘Business Education: Creating Impact with CPEC’, the two-day conference concluded at a hotel on Tuesday with a closing note by Dr Arshad Ali, executive director, HEC Pakistan, according to a press release issued by the Karachi School of Business & Leadership (KSBL).

Held at a hotel, the event saw participation from about 500 delegates. About 150 deans and directors or their representatives gathered together to understand the changing economic landscape with the expansive China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project and its ensuing regional connectivity; and how, in turn, business education in the region needs be effectively framed to harness its impact in the near future. Bringing together notable local and international speakers, the conference included keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops, seminars and a call for papers.

The first panel discussion covered the theme ‘Leveraging Karachi for CPEC’, with speakers representing the policy context of both China and Pakistan, the pulse of local businesses and views of the chamber of commerce for a holistic perspective on the topic. The conversation was moderated by Dr Jawaid Ghani, professor of the KSBL.

One of the panel discussions on Day II of the conference revolved around ‘Transitions and International Linkages in Business Education’, with speakers representing business schools across the globe: Karachi, Lahore, UAE, Belgium and various states of the US. The discussion was moderated by Dr M Iqbal Tahir (on behalf of the dean), a professor at the KSBL.

NBEAC capacity development workshops and quality services seminars, as well as a call for papers, followed a round of panel discussions on both days. The conference culminated in the 19th Council Meeting of the NBEAC. It brought forward pertinent issues, challenges and policy recommendations taking into consideration the local and global landscapes so as to tie in the delivery of business education with current needs and international criterion.