KARACHI: While addressing the 21st Convocation of the Institute of Business Management (IoBM) where 1000 plus graduates were awarded degrees in business management and allied disciplines, Bashir Janmohammad, Chancellor IoBM, Chairman and Director Westbury Group of Companies, Dalda Foods (Pvt.) Limited and Mapak Edible Oils (Pvt.) said IoBM has evolved from its early origins to a nationally and internationally recognized brand name in providing quality education.

This would have been impossible without the noble leadership and guidance of its Late Founder President, Mr. Shahjehan Syed Karim. He highlighted IoBM’s  mutually beneficial academic and professional relations with foreign universities, student outreach program of financial assistance to deserving students and graduates’ success accredited to the sacrifices of their parents.

Also present on this occasion were eminent business and corporate leaders, distinguished figures from foreign missions and international organizations, national luminaries, city elite, print and electronic media. The majority of promising graduates shared with IoBM Public Affairs they prefer to serve Pakistan rather than embark on greener pastures in foreign lands.

During his Keynote Address, Mr. Kimihide Ando, CEO, Mitsubishi Corporation, Pakistan, who was bestowed upon the honor of “Sitara-i-Pakistan” for his passionate and selfless dedication towards exploring and advancing business opportunities in Pakistan reflected upon leadership abilities, decision-making, business ethics and moral values to enhance business proficiencies in all respects indeed.

He shared Pakistani people and business community strengthened his confidence in Pakistan, this country is gifted with potential natural and human resources and his company looks for mutually beneficial business relations with Pakistan.

Talib S. Karim, President IoBM said the Institute remains committed to the ideals enshrined in its vision, a legacy of our Founder President, Late Shahjehan S. Karim. He highlighted IoBM Outreach Program of financial assistance for deserving students, entering its third year in 2018 and reaching to nine underdeveloped districts in Sindh. Mr. Talib S. Karim shared IoBM graduates are serving at key positions in the corporate sector while some are managing their own businesses as entrepreneurs and job-creators.

He said 500 MBA final-year students signed for Capstone Projects this year, which is a custom-designed, research-driven exercise.

He referred to IoBM research journals, HEC approved, top-rated, X-category standing for Pakistan Business Review (PBR) and Pakistan Journal of Engineering, Technology and Science (PJETS) elevation to Y-category in 2018. National and international conferences organized by IoBM’s Entrepreneurship and Management Excellence Center (EMEC) in 2018, he said, are well-commended home and abroad.

Valedictorian, Imrana Imran, during her speech, attributed the selfless sacrifices of parents, commitment and devotion of IoBM faculty and management and vowed to utilize her career-focused knowledge to serve Pakistan with diligence and hard work.

Degrees at the IoBM Convocation 2018 were conferred in specialized disciplines as Advertising and Media Management, Actuarial Science, Risk Management, Health and Hospital Management, Industrial Management, Environment and Energy Management, Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Information Technology, HRM, Economics, Finance, Accounts, Management, Marketing, Business Communication and other fields.

Among IoBM’s 1000 plus graduates this year are 11 gold medalists and 45 recipients of merit certificates. Gold medals were earned by Mehermah Shafat, BBA (Honors), Shahjehan Syed Karim Gold Medal; Hammad Tariq, BBA (Honors), Westbury Group of Companies Gold Medal; Muhammad Umer Farooq, BS (Computer Science), Halima Fatima Memorial Gold Medal; Areeba Nasir, BS (Honors) Accounting and Finance, Imam Ali Kazi Memorial Gold Medal; Amna Nasir, BS (Honors) Media Studies, Channel Tek Gold Medal; Maryam Saeed, MBA (Weekday), Shan Foods Gold Medal; Yamna Hasan, MBA (Health and Hospital Management), Dr. Essa’s Laboratory Gold Medal; Muhammad Zubair Khan, MBA (Weekend), S. H. Hashmi Memorial Gold Medal; Kajal Parkash, MBA (Evening), Tabba Foundation Gold Medal; Rumsha Junaid Janjua, MBA (Evening), Orient McCann Gold Medal; Komal Shakil, MBA (Weekday), Janmohammad Dawood Gold Medal.