KARACHI: It was a shared celebration for the over 900 graduating students of the Institute of Business Management, their proud parents and teachers, who had all gathered for the IoBM’s 18th convocation on its Korangi Creek campus on Saturday.

Wearing blue (for the bachelors) and beige (for the masters) robes, embellished with a colourful border based on the Ajrak design, the students were all jubilant on what was indeed their big day.

“We are privileged to study at such a prestigious institution and extremely thankful to our parents and teachers for putting in great effort to bring out the best in us,” said Anum Alnoor, who received the Jan Mohammad Dawood Gold medal in Bachelor of Business Administration (honors), adding that sheer hard work and consistency made her stand out among the rest.

Sharing her sentiments, Neha Saleem, recipient of the Imam Ali Kazi Memorial Gold Medal in Bachelor of Science (joint honors), said that though it was equally tough and challenging to be an IoBM student as the institution strictly adhered to the principles of quality education, the time spent here was both meaningful and memorable.

Hani Ghulam Abbas, who received the Tabba Foundation Gold Medal in BS actuarial science and risk management, said: “Being attentive in class and having the right reading skills are key to obtaining good marks. I am lucky to have gotten a job recently in my field, though the scope of the actuarial science hasn’t yet developed in our country.”

Earlier, chief guest and former senate chairman Mohammad Mian Soomro, IoBM president Shahjehan Karim and guest of honour Kamal Chinoy greeted the students on their achievement and urged them to set the bar higher for their future endeavours.

Mr Soomro, who had held key government positions, also serving as caretaker prime minister and president, in his brief speech asked the students not to forget the roles played their parents, teachers and the institution in their lives and, being a privileged member of society, always demonstrate humility.

“Be ambitious. Try harder but don’t be greedy. Do something that also benefits society. You may excel in isolation but that’s not enough. You must excel in comparison,” he advised them.

“Don’t forget that you are the future of Pakistan and that Pakistan is your future.”

Sharing some words of wisdom, Mr Chinoy, the chief executive of Pakistan Cables Ltd, said that one should always aim for the stars and never underestimate any situation.

“Dream big, but at the same time, keep your feet on the ground. Remember each success is a probability for more successes,” he said.

“Patience may be a virtue, but perseverance is an art. Pay your dues and don’t forget to give time to humanity.”

Mr Karim in his speech highlighted the performance of the IoBM over the years. The institution that started off in a rented school building at the PAF base two decades ago now has a sprawling custom-built campus comprising four colleges that provides undergraduate and graduate level education to over 4,000 students.

Chancellor Najmuddin A. Sheikh said the distinguishing feature of the IoBM was its breakthroughs in exploring international educational and professional horizons from North America to Europe and now in Asia with South Korea, China and Thailand.

Asifia Aziz, recipient of the S.H. Hashmi Memorial Gold Medal in BBA (honours), made the valedictory speech on behalf of all the 933 graduating students.

The students who received merit certificates were Alina Makhani, Fasiha Hamid, Shiza Javed, Anusha Samad Khan, Sania Khalid Kushtiwala, Tayyaba Paracha, Mashal Gajiani, Ahtezaz A.Halo, Faiz Mehmood, Syeda Amna Nusrat, Raiq Rafiq, Marina Arif, Ramis Kumar, Aisha Ather Rahman, Anum Amin Murani, Sonal Arshad Siraj, Ramsha Kohati and Samra Saeed.

The institution’s first doctoral student Samra Saeed received a PhD in education at the convocation.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2015