INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (IBA):

 

Introduction:

The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi; is a public university in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.

IBA was accredited by the South Asian Quality Assurance System (SAQS) in 2011.

CFA University Partner and the first university in Pakistan to be granted that status by the CFA Institute.

 

History of IBA:

It was in 1955 the Institute of Public and Business Administration (IPBA) was established, making it one of the oldest business school outside North America. Initial technical support was provided by the world famous Wharton School of Finance, University of Pennsylvania. Soon after the University of Southern California set up various facilities at the Institute and several prominent American professors were assigned to the IBA. The course contents, the curriculum, the pedagogical tools and the assessment and testing methods were developed under the guidance of reputed scholars from these two institutions. IBA has zealously guarded the high standards and academic traditions it had inherited from Wharton and USC while adapting and adjusting them with the passage of time.

In 1956 a two-year MBA morning program commenced as a constituent unit of the University of Karachi. Faculty was hired in the department of Public and Business Administration, in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania and assisted by United States International Corporation Administration, now USAID. In 1957, a two-year MBA evening program was launched to cater to the needs of numerous working executives and managers who were interested in furthering their careers through part-time business studies. It was in 1965 the faculty of IBA, Dhaka University and Kelley School of Business jointly developed the two-year MBA program for former East Pakistan. The first computer course, Electronic Data Processing was offered in 1966. After the complete construction of the Institute's two campuses, morning and evening classes commenced at the main campus in 1965, and at the city campus in 1967. In 1968 a two-year BBA program was introduced, followed by the launch of a three-year BBA (Hons.) program in 1982, which has now been upgraded to a four-year BBA program.

The Faculty of Computer Science was originally established as the Center for Computer Studies in 1983 with the collaboration of IBM, Pakistan. It initially offered a PGD in System Analysis along with a two-year MBA (MIS) program to overcome a shortage of software professionals in the country. It now offers BS (Computer Science), MS (Computer Science), and PhD programs. It was in 1989 the PGD (System Analysis) program was upgraded to a two-year MBA (MIS) program. At the start of a new decade, a two-year MBA (Banking) program was launched in collaboration with ANZ-Grindlays Bank. In 1993, two programs, a two-year MBA Executive and a three-year BBA Executive were started at the city campus. Till 1994, the University of Karachi awarded degrees to the graduates. In that year, the Sindh Assembly elevated the Institute's status to that of a degree-awarding institution.

In 1997, a three-year BBA (MIS) honors program was announced to cater to the increasing role of information technology in business. The MIS program was renamed to Management Information System and Sciences program in recognition of the fact that it covers both Information Systems and Computer Sciences. The PGD (Computer Science) evening program was offered to part-time students in 1998. In the same year, a three-year Bachelors in Computer Science (BCS) honors program was announced, along with a three-year BBA (MIS) program, and a three-year BS (Computer Science) program. At the start of the 21st century, in 2002, all undergraduate programs were upgraded to four-year degree programs. In the same year, Centre for Executive Education (CEE) was established. In 2004 the National Talent Hunt (NTHP) program was launched. In 2005 PhD's in CSE, MIS and ICT were offered.

In 2008, a two-year MS in Computer Science, Information technology and Software Engineering were offered along with a BS in Software Engineering and Information Technology. In the same year the four-year BCS degree title was renamed to BS Computer Science. In 2009, IBA introduced its first weekend Executive MBA Program (EMBA) of 2.5 years, focusing on the needs of the mid-career professionals, serving in the Corporate Sector, Banks and Government departments. The curriculum, methodology and course material have been developed in consultation with industry experts and lead resource persons. The Center for Computer Studies was renamed to Center for CS and MIS. In the same year, two MoU's were signed: a 10-year MoU was signed with Babson College, USA for setting up the IBA Center for Entrepreneurial Development (CED); and another with the CFA Institute.

The Center for CS and MIS was renamed to Faculty of Computer Science in 2010. M.S. (Economics) program was introduced, along with the Dean's List and Best Final Year Project awards. The use of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) was also implemented in the same year. The MBA curriculum was revamped in 2011, with the new program of study requiring a minimum of two years of relevant work experience. PhD (Economics) was launched in the course of that year. The IBA was awarded South Asia Quality Assurance Systems (SAQS) accreditation by AMDISA. The Departments of Mathematical Sciences, and Social Sciences and Liberal Arts were established marking the Institute to be more than a business school. During the same year, the IBA received membership of the European Foundation for Management Development. In 2012 the Learning Management System (LMS) was put into effect. A number of undergrad, grad post grad programs were launched, including a four-year BS Economics and Mathematics program, MS Mathematics, PhD Mathematics and MS programs leading to PhD. The Institute signed MoUs with the University of Malaya; the Indian School of Business (ISB), to promote executive education in Pakistan; and with the SP Jain Institute of Management and Research. The IBA was registered as an education provider of the Project Management Institute (PMI), USA. It was in 2012 the Institute's alumni crossed the 10,000 graduates mark.

The Institute offered four-year undergraduate programs in the Department of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts, and in the Department of Accounting and Finance. To facilitate student and faculty exchanges along with research collaborations, the IBA International Resource Center (IRC) was established. The Social Sciences and Liberal Arts Department set up the Ardeshir Cowasjee Center for Writing for students to explore creative avenues through prose. MoU's for the BS Accounting and Finance Program were signed with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) and the Institute of Bankers Pakistan (IBP).  In 2014 Centre for Excellence in Journalism (CEJ-IBA) was established through an agreement between the IBA and the US State department. CEJ is a collaboration between the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. In the same year, PhD in Computer Science was offered. Two more MoUs were signed for the BS Accounting and Finance Program with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

The Centre for Excellence in Islamic Finance (CEIF) was established in 2015 at the Aman Tower, city campus with the objective of providing a platform for discovery, enhancement and dissemination of knowledge in the field of Islamic Finance. It aims to be a world class Centre which, through education and research, carries on IBA's legacy of thought leadership in the Islamic Finance industry. PGD in Supply Chain Management, Human Resource Management and Healthcare Management was also introduced during the year.

In 2016 a MoU was signed with the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF), Malaysia for cooperation with the IBA CEIF followed by the launch of a two-year MS in Islamic Banking and Finance program offered by the Center in 2017. 2018 saw a one-of-its-kind portal introduced by the Institute, the IBA Job Portal which was conceived and designed in-house by the ICT department in collaboration with the Career Development Center and the Alumni Department. This portal enables alumni and students to create their profiles and find jobs/internships, while employers can post vacancies and search profiles for hiring purposes. The job portal will be the most effective tool in streamlining the placement procedure and building a network of students, alumni and employers. The CEJ-IBA introduced the MS Journalism program in 2018. The same year saw the launch of BS Economics, along with an approval of the MS Management program by the Higher Education Commission.

 

Vision:

To be among the best learning institutions in Pakistan.

Mission:

To impart quality education in numerous educational fields to students selected on merit irrespective of ethnicity, gender, religion, or financial means.

To provide a teaching and learning environment that encourages critical thinking, ethical conduct and effective decision making.

To undertake original research that enriches teaching which benefits business, government and civil society.

Core Values:

Discipline - Discipline requires self-regulation and adherence to an established code of conduct. Discipline facilitates the smooth functioning of the institute and is essential for an IBA student.

Creativity – Creativity breeds innovation which is critical for an institution to expand its frontiers. IBA students are encouraged to generate new ideas to attain their goals.

Tolerance – Tolerance represents the ability and willingness to accept and coexist with other opinions and behaviors. Tolerance is an essential characteristic of successful individuals and societies.

Integrity – Integrity suggests the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. Integrity is crucial to the reputation of individual students as well as that of the IBA.

Teamwork - Teamwork requires harmonizing individual effort to achieve a common goal. Without teamwork, individual efforts can be wasted and institutions can suffer.

 

 

According to Time’s Educations, IBA was ranked among the top 600 Asian universities. Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi has established itself as the leading business institute of Pakistan. After putting your efforts for 13 years, one does deserve a healthy campus life where he can find new learning opportunities and feel like home every passing day, and where he can find friends like a family who can be their support system. We believe IBA is well known for providing quality campus life to its students. You may hear people talking about a lot of stuff not good at IBA, but you will hardly find anyone who will not be satisfied with IBA’s campus life.