The business school that has the Cambridge touch

The Karachi School for Business and Leadership (KSBL) has launched its MBA programme. The KSBL is run by the Karachi Education Initiative (KEI), a non-profit organisation formulated by top business leaders and professionals to take business education to scale in the country.
“The idea behind KSBL is to create a cadre of capable and transformational leaders for Pakistan. By benchmarking against the top business schools of the world KSBL wants to become a benchmark in itself for the country, the region and the world,” KEI Board of Directors Chairman Hussain Dawood said at a press conference on Wednesday. The KSBL was set up recognising the need for world-class business schools in Karachi – the commercial hub of the country.
The KEI board believes that in order to progress as a nation, the country needs intelligent and socially responsible leaders, equipped with cutting-edge managerial skills who can work at different levels and in diversified areas, in the private as well as public sectors, and develop creative solutions to resolve challenges by utilising available resources and building an enabling environment to get country’s economy back on track.
The KEI entered into a strategic collaboration agreement with the University of Cambridge – Judge Business School in 2009 to set up the KSBL.
This is the first collaboration agreement Cambridge has signed in its 800 years academic history. The University of Cambridge has taken the lead partnership role in setting up the KSBL, including recruitment of the dean, faculty recruitment and development, curriculum design, including incorporating the local business perspective, and research development. The KSBL has already launched its executive education programmes in 2010 for top corporate executives and based on their success, is offering these programmes in 2011 with an expanded focus on middle management.
F Robert Wheeler III joined the KSBL as dean in 2009. He was previously the assistant dean and chief operating officer at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, and also held key leadership positions at top business schools in USA. He believes that Pakistan is a land full of opportunities and once the right talent is harnessed and trained the country’s growth and prosperity will follow.
With regards to KSBL’s role in this development he said, “For companies that aspire to become global leaders, KSBL graduates will provide the entrepreneurial and ethical mindset that will produce the leaders needed to transform Pakistan.” The KSBL aims to impart education in a very dynamic and challenging environment where students are expected to learn through interactive discussions, simulations and case studies. The school believes that there is a dearth of applied research in Pakistan hence there is an acute need to carry out more studies pertaining to the issues faced locally.
The admission for the MBA programme is completely merit-based and very competitive. The KSBL will begin accepting applications in November 2011 and the first full-time MBA class will commence in September 2012. “The KSBL promises to give its students a world-class educational experience. The state-of-the-art campus facilities, the international curriculum tailored to the local business environment and world renowned faculty would all contribute to a learning experience parallel to none,” said Associate Dean MBA Steven Burton.
The KSBL will conduct MBA information sessions across Pakistan which will provide opportunity to perspective students and parents to interact with the KSBL MBA team and learn more about this programme. The first information session will be held in Karachi on October 8. For further details visit www.ksbl.org. PR