KARACHI, Dec 20: As many as 215 graduates were given Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees of Business Administration and Computer Science at the 6th convocation of the Institute of Business Management (IBM) here on Saturday.

Minister in charge of science and technology and chairman of the Higher Education Commission Pakistan, Dr Atta-ur-Rehman, was the chief guest of the ceremony and conferred degrees on the graduates.

The IBM awarded, for the first time, Bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science (Hons) programme to 21 graduates of two batches. An M.Phil degree was also conferred on Omair Akbar in the faculty of Business Administration.

In all, 102 graduates of three batches of Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) and 91 graduates of three batches of the MBA programme were given degrees. About 10 students were handed over merit certificates for achieving maximum honours in their examinations.

Those who were awarded gold medals, sponsored by different individuals or corporate groups, at the convocation for securing maximum commutative grade points are: Bushra Fasih (MBA), Sakina Ghulam Asghar (BBA), Isma Zaighum (MBA), Khurram Ahmed Suhrwardy (BCS). Kanwal Humayoon (MBA) and Zahid Merchant (MBA) could not receive their medals in person as they are out of the country.

Those who were given certificates of merit are: MBA-Saima Muhammad Aslam, Alizeh Fatima Zaidi, Bibi Autika Marjan, Nadia Siddique, Kashan Younus, and Salman Firoz. BBA- Khuldoon Pervez, Tatheer Zehra Hamadani, Samreen Mahmood, and Zain-ul-Abydeen Khandwani. BCS-Hamza Mudassir Dar.

Senior government officials, educationists, economists and business management personalities were among the audience. In his welcome address, president IBM Shahjehan S Karim, said there were over 2000 students on the campus with fifty full-time and over 100 adjunct and associated faculty members.

Chairman of Unilever Pakistan, Ms Musharraf Hai, speaking on the occasion, said to the graduates that they must not fear the unknown and remain prepared to discuss what they do not know. “You have to take decisions where there is conflict and ambiguity, and renew yourself,” she said.