Honourable Chief Guest
Patron, IMS / Governor of the Punjab
Lt. General Khalid Maqbool,
Senator Dr. Khalid Ranjha, Rector, IMS
Members Board of Governors
Honourable Guests
Faculty Members
and Graduating Students

It is my pleasure to join Rector Senator Dr. Khalid Ranjha to welcome the honourable chief guest to Convocation-2006 of the Institute of Management Sciences.

The number of graduates to whom the Institute is awarding degrees at this convocation is as follow:

On this memorable day in the life of these young graduates we express heartiest congratulations to them and to their proud parents. We wish them all a great success in their future endeavors.

The IMS is confident about the quality of its graduates, and like our alumni these new graduates will also excellently perform in their work and thus bring honour, prestige and fame to IMS and their respective organizations.

The IMS is a dynamic school always aspiring for a positive growth.

1. IMS Activities
The IMS enrolls students in six degree programs of management and computer sciences. Most of the instructors involved in teaching, their number being 70 to 80 every semester, have long teaching and consultancy experience. The IMS has an excellent collection of books in all areas especially Business Administration and Information Technology, and subscribes to 52 local and foreign journals and periodicals. The IMS has two campuses, 9 computer labs equipped with over 350 latest PCs and allied equipment.

Currently, the IMS has on its list more than 65 national and multinational organizations, financial institutions and banks that offer internship facility to its students. The detailed information on various parameters of the IMS is available at its website www.pakaims.edu.pk.

The graduates of IMS constitute competent human resource. They are inducted both in the country as well as abroad in reputable organizations, industrial and banking sectors. Some of our graduates are employed on high managerial positions in Pakistan Tobacco Company, Tetra Pak, Uniliver, Nishat Textiles, American Express Bank, Union Bank, Bank Alfalah, McDonald, Packages, Pizza Hut and other organizations.

2. Newsflash
A news letter of IMS is published every semester to keep the alumni informed about the IMS, activities. This bulletin is also sent to more than 400 national and multi-national organizations.

The quality and rigour of educational programs have been the main focus at IMS. It is indeed a matter of pride, honour and motivation for us that the inspection team of HEC has approved the IMS meeting all the academic and financial criteria of a chartered institution; the only limitation is that it does not yet own a campus. The institute has purchased 180 kanals of land and it is taking measures to construct its campus.

We are grateful to HEC for its timely guidance throughout. We are also highly grateful to you Sir, Honourable Patron, for the direction, support and encouragement you have given us on various issues. The IMS has always a deep concern about its compliance with the HEC requirements as well as its compatibility with the IUFB curriculum standards.

3. IMS Societies
The IMS has three main societies:–
Literary Society
Computer Science Society
Sports Society

Each society is ambitious, dynamic and progressive in its own domain of activities. The literary society holds a bilingual declamation contest every year, and in February this year the contest attracted 40 debaters from 20 colleges of Lahore. The society has also been participating in similar contests held at other forums and winning distinctions. Last year, our two students Ms. Nida of BBA and Mr. Naveed of MBA, represented the IMS at Dadabhoy Institute of Management Sciences Karachi, in national debates won the national bilingual debates trophy. Off course we all take pride in these students.

• Our Computer Science Society keeps on holding workshops, speed programming competition and IT Quizzes almost every semester, inviting students of other institutions as well.
  
• Our Sports Society is also reputed for its activities. It organizes games for the students. It participates in University Level competitions. The society played matches in triangular cricket series – 2005, Inter-university Cricket Championship Zone D, organized by the Higher Education Commission. Our students did perform very well, winning a couple of matches.
  
• The IMS welfare society holds a blood donation campaign every year collecting a minimum of 100 bags of blood.

4. Student Scholarships
At the IMS, the students get scholarships and financial aid. During the year 2005-2006 more than Rs. twenty two lacs were distributed for this purpose. Outstanding students are awarded gold medals, Rolls of Honours, and merit certificates.

5. External Evaluation
The institute cares much for the students’ feedback. At times, parents of some students are also invited to improve the learning process of students. The feedback of the employers of our graduates also matters to us.

6. Research

• The institute encourages research by providing funds to its faculty for their research projects. It also supports the faculty participation in national and international conferences.
• It is a matter of academic pride that more than 16 research and other articles were published by the IMS faculty in national and international journals during last three years.
• Two of our faculty members have been recently given awards by international societies for their outstanding contributions in their respective professions.
  
• One of our faculty members participated in a conference at Singapore last year. During last one year, some other faculty members have contributed their papers to national conferences in Statistics and Physics organized respectively by the Government College University, Lums, Comsats and Pakistan Institute of Physics, chairing the important sessions of these events.
  
• At the request of the Secretary, Higher Education an IMS professor participated in its training program for the senior Govt. Officers of the Punjab Province. Some of our faculty members were also invited for their talks at other prestigious forums.

7. Faculty Seminars and Workshops
The faculty holds in-house seminars every semester for the exchange of knowledge. They also take part in seminars and training programs in other institutions. The IMS faculty presented their seminars on Finance, Marketing and Management Science in a Management Boot for the M.Phil and PhD students at the Balochistan University of Management Sciences and Information Technology, Quetta. In addition, the seminars on Statistics at the Kinnaird College University and Government College University were given by the faculty.
To keep the IMS faculty abreast with the recent developments in knowledge the institute invites eminent guest speakers.

For the students as well, training workshops are held on Management and Information Technology.

8. Special Visitors
It is not uncommon for the institute to be visited by corporate executives of leading organizations, and reputed professionals. Recently, Ms. Elspeth Jones, Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK was here to explore the possibility of developing her university’s educational links with IMS.

Dr. Les Ebdon, Vice Chancellor, Dr. Steve Pettit, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Dr. Richard Haris, Dean Quality Assurance and other professors of the University of Bedfordshire also visited the IMS last year in connection with the articulation program that it has with the IMS.

9. Training of Government Employees
On the request of different government departments the IMS organized free training programs of various durations in computer literacy.

10. Academic Collaborations
IMS has signed an Articulation Agreement with University of Bedfordshire, U.K. The agreement provides for transfer of students credits, faculty exchange and joint research projects.

11. IMS New Campus
The Institute of Management Sciences is currently running its programs of education on two campuses in Gulberg. In addition to 18 kanals of land at Johar Town, it has purchased 160 kanals at Raiwind Road to meet its campus and other requirements in future.

12. New Dimensions

• The IMS has recently started its BBA (Hons.) classes, with quite a large number of students in the first semester.
  
• To encourage, motivate and promote research, the institute has already finalized its plan for introducing M.Phil and Ph.D programs in Management Sciences. (Inshallah) we will start this educational facility in the marketing area in the first phase from September next year.
  
• The IMS, because of its quality consciousness, has been receiving requests for some other educational programs as well. The management has yet to consider this aspect of contribution to human resource development.

Once again, the graduating students, we congratulate you. It is your day, indeed a cherished, treasured and unforgettable day, manifesting the fruit of your hard work in response to an academic challenge. And in your life, yet more challenges lie ahead. Seek support from Quran to accept them with confidence, courage and wisdom. We pray for peace, happiness and success in your pursuits. May Allah bless you all.

Thank you very much.