Karachi business school launches MBA with Cambridge’s help
When the two institutions signed the deal in 2009, it became the first such agreement by Cambridge in its 800-year-old history. And on Wednesday, the MBA was formally launched at a ceremony at the Pearl Continental Hotel.
“Our school promises to give its students a world-class educational experience,” said Steven Burton, the associate dean of KSBL. “The state-of-the-art campus facilities, international curriculum tailored to local business environment and world-renowned faculty will contribute to a learning experience parallel to none.” The graduates will be awarded a certificate by the University of Cambridge when they complete their degrees.
KSBL was set up under the Karachi Educational Initiative (KEI), a non-profit organisation created by a group of corporate leaders, businessmen and professionals. “The idea behind KSBL is to create a cadre of capable and transformational leaders for Pakistan,” said Hussain Dawood, the chairman of KEI. “In education, competition is must. We will prove to the world that we too can do it, by establishing this school.”
The Judge school is also helping KSBL with curriculum and faculty training for executive education programmes. The curriculum will be designed according to the needs of Pakistani students.
The school will have a world class audio and video conferencing, and professors from Cambridge will easily be able to teach students here as well, Burton added.
Dean F Robert Wheeler III said that the graduates of KSBL will not only be world class students but will also be provided with an “entrepreneurial and ethical mindset” that will produce leaders needed to transform Pakistan. The aim of the business school is to give Pakistan business leaders who can play their part in making the economy grow, he said.
The school will start accepting applications in November and classes will begin from September 2012. Only 65 students will be enrolled in the first batch. Scholarships will be provided on merit and based on need. KSBL will conduct MBA information sessions across country for students and parents. The first session will be held in Karachi on October 8.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2011.
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@Z: you are saying this probably because you are from a background where you can afford high profile universities. Think about a common citizen who cannot make both ends meet. As about divides, i think such business schools will add more to this dilema. What do you think will graduates from karachi university and those from ksbl will be dealt similarly by organisations in pakistan, if not than it means that such elite business schools will add more salt to injuries of average pakistanis and will create more divides to our generations not based on their talent or skills but based on a university label.
@Nirmal: There is always a need for hi quality education, especially in Pakistan. A good education can help open minds and perhaps help the citizens of this country look beyond the stupid divides we've created amongst ourselves. Secondly creating linkages with international institutions I feel is a good step towards encouraging knowledge transfer - Universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard have been around for ages and they know their stuff, there is no harm in learning from someone else.
There is no need of such hi fi universities in karachi as no one from middle class could even imagine to afford their tution fee. And why we need affiliation with Cambridge, I think Karachi and Punjab universities are the best universities in the world and much affordable as compared to so called cambridge and oxford universities whose prime purpose is only to make money.
I am sure how hard they try KSBL can in no way compete with LUMS and opening KSBL is just a try to defame / degrate lahories and they will never succeed in their plans.
I agree Tanoli. They should have many many more universities in Karachi. And about what you are saying....Liyari's new medical college in that area is a good start. Hamdard University is also close to that area, but it is a private school. We need more real universities, and not bastions of bruger incompetency such as Greenwich and Preston. These two should have their licenses cancelled.
Congrats to the leaders and academics, who have launched this initiative. The advice and guidance from Cambridge is a good start. It will open up a path for future collaborations with other leading business schools for joint degree programs. ..... Following step by step in formulating a quality program will take some time...years. .... The recognition will come with accreditation and then with top research...this will be the key...publications in the top tier journals will attract other top academics and students from across Pakistan initially and internationally in the following decades. .... Good luck Asif
Happy to hear about the prestigious institute opening up in Pakistan. But yet another project for the riches............try to open up something like the NAML colllege.
@Ali Tanoli: Sometimes all a nation needs are a few world class institutions to get the ball rolling. This is definitely a step in the right direction!
That's a very good news indeed, what we lack in this country today is education and a sound educational environment. Opening of this uni will surely contribute in producing corporate leaders and more educated class.
@ Balma How sad is this in the city of around twenty millions peoples how many universites we got hardly few i means KU with one campus why dont they make second campus in west karachi where most of the population are pathan and balochs i dont why they do to us and there was a news they gonna moved the karachi courts to westren karachi then they cancceld it all ways been discrimination going on even i talk to last mayor of karachi syed kamal mustafa also but nothing happend.
May Allah Mian Bless This Great Effort and University for Our Beautiful Pakistan and its Beautiful People and may this prove as a Bright Beacon For our Beautiful Country's Excellent Future Sumo Illahi Ameen:)
Great news and well done to those who put this together!
I would imagine the fees will be astronomical. How many scholarships will they offer?
Brilliant. Best of luck to the school.
@McGillian: Oh hey.. I go to McGill too.. studying Mech Engg in my third year maybe we know each other.
Terrific! I hope they soon start an Undergraduate programme as well! Finally we get to hear some good news coming from Pakistan! Time to re-prioritize and divert some funds from military to education. Yes having a strong military is paramount to the survival of the nation but then equally so is investing in developing human capital. I sincerely hope that Pakistan would be able to strike a better balance between the two in near future and also try to invest in primary and secondary education alongside this! To better days :)
Great news. Karachi needs many more schools like this. IBA and Karachi University are not enough. Karachi can easily handle 10 more universities. We also need great liberal arts colleges to teach and research philosophy, langauges, history, religion, and so on. We don't need gradautes who are robots or calculators. We need thinkers.