Karachi: The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi, organized an orientation ceremony for IBA-Talent Hunt Orientation Program – Batch 2023 at the Main Campus to welcome more than 250 enrolled students.
Initiated in the year 2004, the program provides free-of-cost training to selected students from underserved communities over a period of six weeks, preparing them for the rigorous admission process at the IBA, Karachi.
Selected students are then offered up to 100% scholarships for a four-year undergraduate degree program. The program covers accommodation, mess, and other recurring educational expenses. To date, more than 450 students have become a part of this program and over 250 have successfully graduated.
This year the IBA-NTHP has joined hands with Ihsan Trust, a not-for-profit organization, and the Oil & Gas Development Company Limited Pakistan (OGDCL) to prepare more than 250 students for its Orientation Program cycle for the year 2023.
The breakdown for Talent Hunt Program- Batch 2023 includes 150 students from Ihsan Trust, 101 students from OGDCL, 3 students from Kiran Foundation, and 23 students from The Citizen Foundation (TCF). 170 students have joined the program physically while 80 students are enrolled for online sessions.
Representatives from the donor organizations included, Mr. Zia Salahuddin, Executive Director, OGDCL; Mr. Ahmed Ali Siddiqui, Group Head Shariah Compliance, Meezan Bank Limited; Ms. HumaMirza, Director Akhuwat Education Services, Akhuwat; Ms. MadihaShaykh, Deputy Chairperson, Kiran Foundation; Mr. Hammad Khalid, Head of TCF Colleges, TCF Foundation. IBA faculty members also attended the ceremony offering their encouragement and guidance to the students.
Director, Talent Hunt Program, Dr. JunaidAlam Khan commenced the ceremony stating that “IBA’s remains steadfast in its quest to make quality education accessible to the underserved communities. And that alliances have been formed with esteemed organizations to support the cause.” He further added that the IBA hopes to expand the program to new geographical locations and communities in the coming years.
Executive Director IBA, Dr. S Akbar Zaidi welcomed Batch 2023 and attendees. Dr. Zaidi thanked the sponsors, OGDCL, Meezan Bank Limited, Kiran Foundation, Ihsan Trust, TCF, and the IBA-THP team. Dr. Zaidi commended the enrolled students for coming this far and encouraged them to prepare well in order to pass the IBA entrance test so that more students from the THP can be part of the IBA student body. He also informed the audience that this is the biggest THP batch to date.
Addressing the audience, Mr. Siddiqui thanked the donors and urged the students to make their parents and the nation proud.
THP students shared their inspiring journeys towards acquiring an admission in the IBA -Talent Hunt Orientation Program. The students represented their respective regions including Azad Kashmir, Skardu, Kotri, Baluchistan, Chitral, Kohat and Siachen.
The ceremony concluded with Dr. Zaidi presenting mementos to all the representatives from the donor organizations.
