Following foreign curriculum does not entirely suit our national
requirements
Oct 25 - 31, 1999
Following are the excerpts from an exclusive interview with
Adnan-ul-Arabi, President, Karachi Institute of Economics and Technology:
I would rate Karachi Institute of Economics and Technology (KIET)
amongst the first 10 in the city. Now that KIET has been formally declared as the Study
Center of Sindh University Jamshoro, our standing is likely to improve due to this
recognition. KIET is not in competition with any institute, instead it would like to
promote and foster an atmosphere based on mutual collaboration where competencies of each
institute are pooled for the benefit of student community. KIET has a high average profile
as far as student quality, and curriculum design is concerned. I would rank the faculty as
above average. Our fee structure is reasonable to allow low middle class community to
undertake specialized education if they fulfil requisites.
Following new courses have been added:
BBA Programme
Library Research and Presentation
Analysis of Pakistani Industries
International Trade
BCS Programme
Computer Graphics
MBA Programme
Econometrics
MCS Programme
Client Server Technology
Besides new programmes like Software Engineering and Information
Technology have been added at Masters level.
I am afraid we in Pakistan are following a curriculum taught at
American schools which does not entirely suit our national environments. There is a need
to tailor the American curriculum according to our national imperatives as well as
shortfalls. Our cultural values, economic conditions and limited literacy profile should
be built into our programme, e.g. HRM, Office and Record Management, Research.
Methodology, Organization and planning need to be converted into core courses.
Students undergo a course on Library Research at BBA level where
training is imparted to help them extract information available in journals and books etc.
Skills at collation and analysis are developed to make use of existing primary and
secondary data. By adding this new course, writing methodology is refined.
Students also make short presentations during different courses to
refine oral communication. Recently a copy of Pakistan & Gulf Economist, and
Spider Magazines at the Institute's cost is prescribed to each student with the view to
broaden their outlook.
In the final stage a course titled "Analysis of Pakistani
Industries" is offered where a group of industries are reviewed for their
performances, short-falls and problems.
Efforts are in hand to increase the number of seminars at institute
level. Business schools would certainly like to avail the opportunity of attending
seminars, workshops, lectures arranged by institute like Pakistan Institute of Management
and British Council etc., but the fee associated is so high that an average student of the
institute is unable to bear it. It is only Institute of Business Administration (IBA)
which invites students free of participation fee to such seminars. Other
institutes/organizations should follow this good trend established by the IBA.
The decision to enroll students after intermediate has been most
beneficial. However it is felt that the education at BBA level should be broader and
aspects like Psychology, Literature and Technology orientation should be included in the
curriculum.
MBA (Executive) programme has been a success and is our strength. The
programme gives opportunity for self-development to existing executive cadre. Their
attitude towards academic achievement is also very positive. As far as the research Degree
is concerned we'll in a short while frame programmes for M.Phil and Ph.D in Economics and
Management Sciences.
We contemplate to build a Research Centre of National Capability, from
where we would like to bring out a Journal of Economics and Finance. We also, intend to
provide regular reports on current scenario of stock exchange of Pakistan, Industrial
Guidance for future investment, overall economic development conditions and state of
technology etc. The concept behind this Research Centre is to invoke the awareness and
acquaintance in society in general and Research/Business students in particular.
We have the linkage with foreign universities/institutes not on
institute level but with scholars/academicians of these institutes including UCLA,
Cambridge, Rutgers, London University, Punjab University, University of Karachi etc.
