KARACHI – The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi held its annual convocation 2018 at the main campus to confer degrees to 926 graduates. 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 years of the institute’s history.
The chief guest of the ceremony was Advisor to the Prime Minister on Institutional Reforms and Austerity, Dr. Ishrat Husain. The Executive Director, IBA Karachi, Dr. Farrukh Iqbal congratulated all the graduating students and their families.
Dr. Iqbal said, “The IBA has long had a reputation for delivering quality education. What does this rest on? Partly because of having 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. An outcome measure of quality for the IBA students is the salary level that they attract upon graduation.”
He further clarified that the grades and jobs are not all there is to life. 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 added.
The chief guest Dr. Husain lauded the progress of the IBA in the last decade and shared, “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 also urged the graduates to show compassion towards their fellow beings. Talking to the graduates he said, “Prepare yourself for an uncertain future. The knowledge and skills you have acquired would soon become obsolete and outdated. Only those among you who are continuously recharging their mental batteries and reequipping themselves with new tools are likely to succeed.”
The convocation proceeded by conferring the degrees to the students. 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. Performance awards were given to staff and faculty including the Best Teacher and Best Researcher award.
This year a few of the medals and awards were sponsored by the corporate sector and philanthropists.
