A Vision and its Realization: Lessons to be learned from one Institute’s Transformation

1. A Vision and its Realization: Lessons to be learned from one Institute’s Transformation Dr. Sayeed Ghani Associate Dean, Faculty of Computer Science Institute of Business Administration May 30th, 2013

2. Strategic Planning • Develop a Strategy • Ensure it is well thought out, widely discussed and fully accepted. • Our 5-year Strategy Vision: (2009-2014) : • To become among the top 100 Global Business Schools and top 10 Business Schools in the Middle East and South Asia region

3. The Challenge: Converting the Vision into a Detailed Action Plan • Restructure internal management processes and governance • Develop physical and IT infrastructure and remodel and renovate its existing facilities • Attract, train, retain and motivate a highly qualified faculty • Rebuild quality assurance and plan expansion and strengthening of academic programs for the future • Develop an HR strategy – hire top quality management; separate academics from operational management • Be prepared for the challenges of change management • Look at the ‘What’ and the ‘How’

4. Internal Management, Processes & Governance Effective decision making must be based on collaboration and frequent communications among all stake holders • Develop the right teams • Executive Committee • Consisting of senior faculty members and heads of administrative departments • Committee to consider suggestions and proposals from staff, student and/ or faculty members • Frequent follow ups on action items • Academic Committee • Drawing all levels of faculty members to set and enforce academic standards • Regular Meetings across different segments of the organization • Departmental meetings, Chairpersons/Coordinators meetings, All Faculty meetings • An open environment for exchange of ideas with freedom of expression and respect for difference of opinions; heavy use of emails and group email culture • Transparency of decisions with all meeting minutes publically placed on the portal.

5. Motivating your Team • New Faculty Appraisal & Unit System to ensure research output: • Number and selection of courses to be taught each semester • Research projects to be undertaken • Number of publications or papers to be submitted • Number of courses to be taught • Consultancy or other outside advisory assignments • Junior faculty encouraged to have growth/ PhD plans • Faculty Development funds • Transparent appraisal process linked to compensation • Stretch goals ensured through bell curve

6. Effective HR Policies • A primary factor in rating of Universities is the Quality of Faculty and their Research Output • Targeted faculty search • Strong induction methodology for new faculty with greater role of faculty in hiring • Revised compensation structure • Significant Faculty Development funding with short and long term international visits • Frequent interactions with faculty members from leading universities • Student and 360 degree evaluations • HR Consultants – frequent workshops with faculty • Change management is the major challenge here

7. Technology and its Challenges Quality education cannot be provided without state of the art IT infrastructure Operational efficiency is difficult to achieve in the absence of an ERP solution, therefore, an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system for Campus Management has been made operational since Fall 2010 The ERP implementation was preceded by a Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) phase to ensure a realigned and well functioning ERP Perhaps the most challenging aspect of the process was BPR whose success was primarily due to the active involvement of the top management State of the art IT infrastructure: High speed Internet; high-end servers, licensed software, VoIP services. Creation of user-friendly service units

8. $ Funding $ • Optimal performance requires an enabling environment. • Money does not guarantee success. Effective execution is the key. • Donors: need for confidence • Infrastructure – Enabling Environment: • Complete revamp of all existing buildings • Major new constructions expanding on existing facilities: • Centre for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) • New Academic Building, Main Campus • New Boys/ Girls Hostels • Visiting faculty residences • Upcoming: • 12 storied Aman Building • New City Campus Auditorium • Student Center and outdoor games facilities

9. Innovation and Collaboration • Culture of dynamism with a positive attitude towards change and pilot studies • Curriculum development with use of • External Review Panels • Focus groups: Industry HR, Alumni, students, faculty. • Completely new MBA program launched (2010) • Flexible curriculum with plenty of options for students • Academic Audit process • Strategic alliances & International Collaborations • Emphasis on International / Regional Accreditations

10. Learning from mistakes! • It is impossible to innovate and do everything right • What is important is to have frequent reviews to determine what is going right vs. wrong. • To take corrective action and to continue to innovate. • E.g. flexibility in the curriculum, MBA policy

11. The Search for Talent • Talent is often hidden and needs to be unearthed! • National Talent Hunt Program (NTHP) & Sindh Talent Hunt Program (STHP) launched • The objective is to prepare economically challenged but talented students for the IBA aptitude test for BBA / BS degree courses • NTHP primarily targets students from the backward areas of Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh, FATA, NWFP and Northern areas • Fully funded programs jointly financed by IBA and the Government • IBA’s commitment: No admitted student will be denied an IBA education due to lack of funds!

12. Faculty of Computer Science • Artificial Intelligence Lab: A Success Story • International collaboration with the University of Technology, Sydney • Karachi Koalas: Team for the World RoboCup Soccer • Vision to be among the top 4 teams in the world • State-of-the-art 2 humanoid Naorobots about 1M Rs. each • 2012: Karachi Koalas competed in both the IranOpen as well as the World RoboCup competition held in Istanbul. Beat France and Japan and achieved 16th position out of 28 teams that qualified world-wide. • 2011: Top 20 worldwide • 2012: Top 16 worldwide • 2013: Reached Top 8 in IranOpen in 2013

13. NAO Robots @ IBA AI Lab World RoboCup NAO Robot

14. THANK YOU!