By Rafiq Vayani
KARACHI: The Institute of Business Management (IoBM) has been recognized as a Relevant Degree Awarding Institute (RDAI) by the Institute of Chartered Accountants Pakistan (ICAP). IoBM becomes the first business school of Pakistan to have been bestowed with this status. As an RDAI, IoBM graduates of BS Accounting, Management, and Law (BS-AML) will be exempted from several ICAP examinations. This will provide graduates with a head start while pursuing their higher education at ICAP.
Present at this occasion were IoBM’s Mr. Talib S. Karim, President; Dr. Syed Irfan Hyder, Rector, Mr. Sartaj Qasim, HoD, Commercial and Professional Studies along with HoDs, faculty members, and management. Representing ICAP were Mr. Khalilullah Shaikh, President; Mr. Farrukh Rehman, Chairman ETCOM; Syed Najmul Hasan, Council Member; Syed Masood Akhtar, Secretary ICAP; Mr. Omair Jamal, Senior Director, and Mr. Salman Abbasi, Deputy Director Training. Mr. Khalilullah Shaikh presented the RDAI certificate to Mr. Talib Karim.
During his speech, Mr. Talib Karim said that it is a momentous occasion for IoBM to be recognized by ICAP as an RDAI. He appreciated ICAP’s decision for providing IoBM’s graduates with exceptions in CA examinations. Mr. Talib Karim said that the BS-AML program at IoBM is the third most popular program. It attracts those students who envision themselves becoming a chartered accountant. He was confident that ICAP-IoBM partnerships can augment academia-industry linkages.
Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Khalilullah Shaikh said that ICAP and IoBM can collaborate in various domains especially in producing quality research and in professional development. The dedicated leadership and learned faculty of both these institutes will play an instrumental role in this regard. He said that ICAP is a trusted body when it comes to conducting meticulous research in accounting and finance. While addressing the audience, Dr. Syed Irfan Hyder, Rector IoBM stressed the need for students to complete an apprenticeship. This would provide them with first-hand experience and information regarding industry practices. Dr. Hyder envisioned that ICAP-IoBM collaboration will facilitate IoBM to gain valuable data and insights. This will provide faculty members to improve the curriculum of the BS-AML program while helping IoBM broaden its experiential learning framework.
