Introduction

The Institute of Business Studies & Leadership (IBL), AWKUM evolved from a Department of Management Sciences into a leading Business School that offers a wide range of academic programs with an ambition to transform our faculty, quality of our facilities, and the quality of our students from excellence to greatness. The IBL embraces the responsibility of preparing students for leadership roles in today’s ever-changing, fast-paced business world. Academic and training programs at IBL are designed to prepare ethical, knowledgeable, and professionally committed graduates who are capable of making immediate contributions at work and in their community.

IBL aspires to engage our students through credentialed faculty who purposefully connect theory with practical learning experiences. IBL currently enrols around 1600 students in undergraduate and graduates programs. We expect around 20% annual increase in students’ enrolment and a substantial number of students are expected each year for executive education. IBL earned its initial NBEAC accreditation in 2014 in W category. A recent reorganization of the university led the department of management sciences to transform into an Institute of Business Studies and Leadership with the gradual restructuring of three specialized departments such as; Department of Accounting and Finance; Department of Marketing & Entrepreneurship; Department of HR & Leadership. Six coordinators are overseeing the academic programs i.e. BBA, BBS, MBA 3.5; MBA 1.5, MS & research. These Academic Coordinators along with the Director and the Dean of Faculty comprise the Leadership Team for the school. The IBL leadership through its faculty oversee a continuous review process of the school’s policies and procedures.

The challenges emerging from past and potential growth and the current operating environment require the IBL to position itself carefully in the competitive environment for the coming five years. The IBL operates in a complex, dynamic environment and with increasing regional, national and international competition. Specifically, the School faces greater competition with the introduction of BS education at Government colleges and Colleges of Management & Commerce under provincial control that adding capacity to the market with the very economical fee structure.

Vision

The IBL aspires to be a premier business school in Pakistan that offers high-quality education and cutting-edge research.

Mission
The mission of the Institute of Business Studies & Leadership is to pursue, preserve, and disseminate knowledge. We aim to earn a reputation for competency and innovation in teaching, learning, research, and an institute with a strong sense of social responsibility. We pursue prowess in research and teaching and promote the critical intellect.

Core Values
The core values, which IBL shares among its faculty and students with a commitment to nurture, maintain and sustain a culture of:

• Academic Excellence through quality teaching and conducive learning environment
• Professional expertise in the conduct
• Culture of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit
• Impactful and genuine Research that has enduring value
• Student-focused
• Ethical behaviour and Social responsibility
• Partnering with industry, faculty, students, and the community to address complex business issues through collaboration

Objectives

• Developing and producing business professionals, entrepreneurs and employable managers endowed with the spirit of social responsibility, immediacy and competitiveness, which can be absorbed across national and international organizations.
• Maximize sustained and mutually beneficial corporate engagement and foreign collaboration.
• Strive to enhance quality in faculty, students, infrastructure, curriculum and the technology by utilising optimum use of available resources and establishing linkages with international but relevant academia and researchers.
• Promote a culture of inter-discipline and inter-culture harmony by inculcating the spirit of tolerance, accommodation and dialogue blend with the colours of responsibility and integrity.
• Establish and promote a vibrant campus life through the integration of curricular and extracurricular activities and aiming for academic and intellectual interaction between faculty and students.

Strategic Plan

The IBL’s strategic plan aims to target opportunities, which are offered in the changing and competitive business environment with a special focus on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and emerging socio-economic integration at regional and international mosaic. To achieve its intended objectives, IBL plans to enhance its professional competency, quality teaching, ensure continued innovation and impactful research through collaborative energy among students, faculty, staff, alumni and the business community within national geographical setting and beyond.

In the current era of the increasingly complex business environment, businesses and organizations need to move forward and thrive out of the box solutions and innovative paradigm instead of traditional ways of approaching challenges. IBL leadership is excited about the opportunities in the upcoming CPEC projects and its interconnected programmes for socio-economic integration of the region and beyond. As a consequence, the market’s need for business graduates capable of managing business and organizations in an integrated world economy will increase. IBL will closely monitor these opportunities and plan for meeting the demand for business graduates and leadership with well-grounded in business fundamentals and creative thinking.

Besides, the formal business education to its fresh graduates, IBL further aims to contribute to improving the business and managerial skills of the existing executives through executive education and professional training in short-term specialized courses. The executive education and customized professional training at IBL should help the mid-career and senior managers to:

• Learn how to create focused, forward-looking business strategies that drive company success in the rapidly changing complexity in the business environment.
• Learn how other companies have turned cutting-edge strategy into extraordinary success.
• Learn how the workplace environments help the organization thrive amid rapid innovation and growing competition with productivity.

Industrial tour
An industrial tour is arranged twice a year for senior students. During the industrial tour, business establishments and industries in Mardan, Peshawar and Rawalpindi are visited. The students are briefed about the work processes of the commercial organizations and exchange views with people working in the industries.

Excursion
As a co-curricular activity, trips are arranged to various scenic spots once every semester for students. The trip provides an opportunity for students to enjoy themselves along with their friends and to cultivate their connections with their colleagues.

Sports
The department promotes all sporting activities. Students of the department actively participate in inter-departmental sports events as well as inter-university tournaments. The department was the winner of the cricket tournament held in 2010 and debate and painting competition held in 2009.

Funfair
Funfairs contain not only a mixture of attractions for students but also provide them with an opportunity to expand their creativity standards and express their marketing skills. To encourage student participation, our department has recently launched an Entrepreneurship Society whose responsibilities will be to arrange funfairs, seminars and exhibitions that can make a significant contribution to students’ opportunities to network and develop their practical skills.