HEC plans to revamp business education

Higher Education Commission (HEC) Chairman Dr Javaid Leghari said on Saturday that the National Business Education Accreditation Council (NBEAC) was taking significant initiatives to improve the quality of business education in Pakistan but the NBEAC needed to enhance its efforts and business schools needed to get accreditation through NBEAC immediately.
In a meeting with NBEAC Chairman Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad and HEC Executive Director Dr Sohail Naqvi, NBEAC Programme Manager Ahtesham Ali Raja, Programme Coordinator Sania Tufail and Research Officer Munazza Zaidi, held at the HEC headquarters for the review of the progress and activities of NBEAC, Dr Leghari identified the need to synchronise the roadmaps of various degree programmes from undergraduate to the doctoral level for a smooth transition of students from one degree to the other.
He also highlighted the need to empower the faculty in order to increase the quality of classroom instruction and industrial linkages. It was agreed in the meeting that MBA should be considered a two-year degree in principle and the minimum requirement for admission should be a 16-year education. Those entering into MBA with prior education in business administration would be provided with a waiver of up to 15 credit hours while those joining with a non-business undergraduate background would have to undergo two years of education, which might include summer sessions as well.
Similarly, students with a 14-year education should be offered admissions into other degree programmes to help them complete their 16 years of education. Dr Naqvi said that the curriculum needed to be revamped and aligned with cutting-edge developments at a global level and to meet the demands of the corporate sector in Pakistan. He said that communication and leadership skills along with managerial expertise should be made a part of the curriculum to enhance personal effectiveness and to develop managerial expertise.
The HEC chairman approved the idea of setting up the National Resource Centre for Case Studies to promote practical training and provide analytical training on issues related to the world of business and industry. All cases would pass through a blind review process and upon acceptance the writers would receive acknowledgement in the form of the permission to publish a paper in the HEC approved journal. It was decided that workshops for case writing skills would be held in all provinces.
Dr Leghari also approved the proposal to hold the First International Conference on Management Education in March 2012 in Lahore. It was decided that leading international accrediting agencies such as The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and European Foundation for Management Development would be invited to share their expertise regarding the quality of management education.
This forum would generate research interests in the advanced theoretical as well as practical issues and challenges facing management education in Pakistan.