IBA sets new strategic direction at Leadership Retreat 2022

The Institute of Business Administration Karachi’s 2-day Leadership Retreat 2022 was held after the formation of three schools and the appointment of three permanent deans for each school at a local hotel from June 28 -29 under the leadership of Executive Director Dr. S Akbar Zaidi, who invited key stakeholders from the IBA, along with prominent experts and strategists from academia, to participate in the development of IBA’s future vision.

The purpose of the Retreat 2022 was to remain abreast with the recent trends, and ideas while envisioning the role of the IBA in the socio-economic development of the country and lay the foundation for a concentrated journey to achieve IBA’s vision.

The key pillars for the retreat were identified as: meaningful and impactful research, innovation culture, alignment of academic programs with global trends and market needs, enhanced role of professional development centers, accreditations, quality faculty, academic/industrial linkages, and overall financial sustainability of the IBA.

The institute steers into a new direction from being one of the leading business administration institutes to one of the best multidisciplinary institutes of higher learning in the country. Three full-fledged schools have been formed – namely the School of Business Studies (SBS), School of Economics and Social Sciences (SESS), and School of Mathematics and Computer Science (SMCS) – a number of new degree programs have been launched; policy and regulatory frameworks have been put in place; various research and professional development centers have been established to cater to the emerging needs in order to adapt to the ever-changing local and global dynamics.

The leadership aspect reflected upon the newly appointed full-time deans who will lead their respective schools on the academic and research fronts – enabled by a revamped Office of the Registrar which will provide administrative, technological and logistical support. Various steering and monitoring committees are in place to ensure accountability across the board.

The infrastructural and technological development side included the solar energy project, faculty apartments, new girls’ hostel, a state-of-the-art digital IBA project, and overall revitalisation of the campuses.

The event was attended by a large number of IBA faculty members, staff, and senior leadership. The participants appreciated the idea of setting up a long-term plan for the IBA and underscored the importance of holding such events in the future to monitor and ensure progress towards IBA’s future vision.