KARACHI - The Institute of Business Administration (IBA) held its annual convocation 2019 at the main campus to award degrees to 926 graduates.
The graduating batch included 673 undergraduate students from six programmes, 252 postgraduate students from seven programmes and a PhD scholar.
The chief guest of the ceremony was Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh. Minister for Food and Parliamentary Affairs Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and Co-Founder of The Citizens Foundation (TCF) Mushtaq Chhapra attended as guests of honour.
Executive Director of IBA Karachi Dr Farrukh Iqbal congratulated the graduating students and their families and announced that 80 percent of the Institute’s current graduating batch has attained employment of their choice within three months of graduation. Addressing the audience, Dr Iqbal announced that the first cohort of BS Economics and MS Journalism are graduating and will enter the job market. Furthermore, he said that the IBA is the first Institute to offer a specialized degree in Journalism.
Chhapra applauded the IBA’s initiative to start the Responsible Citizen Initiative (RCI) or Social Internship and many institutions of higher learning are following in the footsteps of the IBA. He highlighted the diversity at the IBA and mentioned that many graduates of TCF have obtained education from the IBA through its financial assistance programme. He said, “Life is not about being rich, popular or highly educated; it’s about being real. It’s all about being humble and being kind.”
Khuhro said the skill set which the graduates have acquired at the Institute will help them with the intricacies of life. He added that being graduates of the IBA makes them stand out from the rest and endows them with a responsibility to perform well.
He said, “With a legacy of more than six decades, the IBA has proven to be a hub of nurturing talent from which not only Pakistan but the entire world has benefitted. This esteemed Institution has produced nothing but the best leaders and professionals that not only lead but inspire.”
Chief guest Dr Shaikh appreciated the efforts of the IBA and asked the students to value the virtues this Institute has empowered them with and urged the graduates to strive for excellence.
He said, “No great institution, and great achievement has been possible without one person saying I don’t care about the odds. I want you to be those people who don’t care about the odds and on the course to greatness.”
The convocation ceremony featured the position holders in various degree programs who were awarded cash prizes, medals, shields and certificates of merit. Graduating students excelling in the field of sports were also recognized. Performance awards were given to staff and faculty members including the Best Teacher and Best Researcher awards.
