Lahore School of Economics

In a recent survey, I was asked this question: What aspect of a job applicant with an MBA is most important -- the quality of the educational institution where it was awarded, the specialization, the motivation shown to have achieved a degree, or the applicant's personal attributes regardless of the course attended?

I rated the educational institution and personal attributes the most important, followed by specialization and motivation.

Let me justify my answer: Essentially employers in forward looking organizations growing with time are looking for top-level staff who have personal attributes that fit the criteria of doing a good job; attributes come from the years spent in educational institutions. A positive attitude towards achieving success in the job and good communication and interpersonal skills that top the list of most job interviewers' pre-requisites across all disciplines are learnt in the school from where one gets the degree. Specialization and motivation will follow.

This raises the question about students' choice of courses. The best students are those who have identified in which university they want to study, what course, and how it can help them advance their career.

For one student, MBA might well be the right path to follow. Those whose ambition is for general management organization should do so. "The MBA is a generic management programmed which provides practicing managers with an opportunity for personal development with a broadly-based introduction to all management subject areas and the theory and practice of management," writes Carol Blackman, a management guru. But an MBA is not the only choice for an advanced business education. Economics can be studied as MSc. This may lead down a more specialist, professional route of qualification, which is in demand from employers. Though MBA degree with economics, finance or accounting remains one of the most popular postgraduate qualifications.

Beware, from where one gets the degree is one of the most important factors of all.

Students consider many things when they choose a college major, such as their personal interests, the strength of programs offered, and their own talents and abilities, future employment prospects. Reputation of the educational institution also factor into the decision.

When making a decision or considering your career track, it's natural to wonder what various degrees are worth. One measure of the value of a degree is the average jobs offered to new graduates of a particular educational institution.

One has to consider many factors: starting salaries, long-term professional development, career satisfaction and some more. If you have an enriching educational experience at your school, you are more likely to succeed at your job. This could lead to faster advancement in your career even in a tight job market like ours.

As educators, the opportunity to instill in students something that transcends their career goals they bring with them to the Lahore School, trying to infuse a sense of the real importance of education in society and a love of learning for learning's sake-learning and for the sheer joy of knowing and preparing them in the way students approach new information and new intellectual opportunities is one thing. As students, the desire to be in the know of the situation and to follow the changes in another. That is what will bring lasting gift of success to them in the future. That is what will allow them to plan and manage change, rather than allow change to manage them.

Students who undergo rigorous, vibrant, and attuned to the goal of learning experiences in the Lahore School build the capacity to be responsive to change in its environment. The Lahore School’s programs inspire students, the next generation of leaders, to achieve.

In a world that runs on intelligence, the links between business and academia are inevitably growing closer than ever. Industry needs qualified people who can exploit the investment.

Through academic Initiatives, the Lahore School of Economics is continuing to ensure that industries have the qualified people they need. Recently the Lahore School approached 350 top companies for getting their reports. Companies responded positively and some 120 companies have already sent their data and also put the school on their mailing list for updates. This is only one case in point. Student now will be able to carry out financial analysis for their projects.

What is more, within the academic setting, the School puts students in direct contact with industry, business managers and experts in different fields in more than one ways. Through this network, students can apply what they are learning in the real world. The initiative also feeds ideas back into the learning cycle, ensuring that curricula remain current, relevant and interesting.

Students who get hands-on experience enter the world of business with a huge competitive advantage. We aim at good and professional education for our students, which prepare them for both research work and business activity.

Which is one reason why Lahore School of Economics prides itself on graduates who go on to become successful leaders of top companies.

We always consider the power a teacher has in a classroom, for example, their influence on setting the tone of a class. However, we rarely consider the power of the students. A classroom is filled with tens of students while there is generally only one teacher. If all of the students are engaged in learning, the class will be great.

On the other hand, if only the teachers are willing to engage themselves in a particular class, the class won't be worthwhile no matter how hard the teacher tries. Students have just as much an effect on the tone of a classroom as teachers whether they realize it or not.

Usually, students spend a lot of time complaining about our teachers and not enough time reflecting on our behaviors as students. Teachers can only guide; students are the ones who must make the effort to learn. Teachers’ job is not just to teach, it is to help their students learn. A professor can teach all day but if their students don't pay attention then nothing is gained from their efforts. If students engage themselves in the classroom, I believe they will find that professors are actually quite wonderful at their jobs.

Teachers are more engaged in classes with students that are excited about both the subject matter they are learning and teaching itself. While so much attention is placed on how teachers can motivate their students, students also have the power to motivate their teachers helping them become even better educators. So the next time you have a class, I suggest you engage yourself in the class and communicate your excitement about class to your professor. This may help to enrich the overall experience of learning.