Redefining leadership in Pakistan

Mr Steven Burton is Associate Dean for the MBA Programme at the Karachi School for Business & Leadership. Steven Burton was most recently Director of the MBA Programmes at Dallas and Houston for The University of Texas, Austin. In this role he had had overall responsibility for recruiting and admitting MBA students, co-ordinating instructional operation activities, developing and delivering major programme events and assuring year-round class operations.
Prior to this, he was the Director and founder of Career Services for Working Professional MBA students at UT. He was also a co-founder and Executive Committee member of the world's first professional organisation for Working Professional MBA Career Services leaders, MBA CSWP that brings together leaders from around the world to share and collaborate on the best practices.
Prior to his time at The University of Texas, Steven Burton had had roles as an Executive Recruiter, Sales Manager for an industrial equipment manufacturer and Engineering Manager for IBM. He holds an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University.
Here, Steven Burton talks exclusively with BR Research:
BR Research: Are you going to work on faculty first or infrastructure?
SB: Infrastructure is very important but a business school is best known by the quality of faculty. Faculty is definitely the most important aspect of our plans. Our faculty will be a mix of locals and foreigners-we will be having five to six PhD faculty members that are actively conducting research and have a strong teaching background.
Cambridge's expertise will very much be a part of the recruiting process. Prior to our launch in September 2010, we will obviously be having full faculty, which will be a mix of foreign and local personnel.
BRR: The quality of the students that come in is one of the reasons why other business schools have been so successful. Please comment.
SB: Most of our students would definitely have to meet certain criteria for joining the MBA programme-as it is generally practised world-wide like having two or two-and-a-half year of experience. But, if we find a real gem, we will treat such people as potential business leaders which would be good for the school's progress as well as the country.
The focus would be on enriching classroom discussion, real time learning experience and interactive faculty co-ordination. We will have project-based learning courses where the students will have the opportunity to enhance their learning experience even if they do not have prior professional experience.
We would be joining hands with small businesses, entrepreneurs or non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for mutual benefit. This would give KSBL students gain work experience.
The duration of the MBA programme will be about 22 months; which is usually called a two-year programme. We would be offering General Management MBA; it is about building future businesses with solid foundations. We would be working to build a level of responsibility amongst our students that they are ready to take on in life.
We will not offer electives; we will have general management preference. We are more focussed on building future leaders than specialised professionals.
BRR: How do you plan to create linkages with employers?
SB: We are just beginning that process through our executive education team. Our connections are beginning to develop. We would be building internships for our students through project-learning programmes which will open and create linkages with the industry.
It is important from two perspectives. You have to have an interaction with the business community, their hiring managers, their HR, their relationship with the people, etc. We will make sure our students have done their homework, when they meet a prospective employer; this is where we will be different from other schools. It shows the employers that the students are interested and what value can they bring to the employers' organisation.
BRR: Pakistan market is different in the sense that the corporate sector isn't huge. It is predominantly the SMEs and the family-owned businesses that dictate the market. How do you plan to be compatible with this factor?
SB: We understand Pakistan is an emerging market. We will induct entrepreneurial practices into our curriculum and it will be a vital part of the students' grooming. It is true that most of the MBA schools do not produce entrepreneurs. We will be working on that aspect and will make our students better leaders so that they go out and help improve things whether in their own business or as an employee of a company.
BRR: What is your view on Pakistan's economy and its demographics?
SB: Pakistan is an emerging market and has tremendous demographic potential. People here have the energy and the desire and I am pretty certain that things are going to happen. There are bright people with high potential, and what we can do form an educational perspective is to help better them.
BRR: How many students are you looking to induct and what is the benchmark for students' induction?
SB: KSBL is looking to start small and then build. We are going with the concept that the market is large and we can build on it slowly and gradually. We will be recruiting about 60-65 students in the first step. In the long run, we are looking to at least increase the students' induction by five times in the next five to seven years.
BBR: There is a yawning gap between the industry and the academia in terms of research-how do you plan to provide research to the industry?
SB: We are looking to recruit our faculty with a high focus on research. There are tremendous opportunities in this regard; not a lot has been done so far. So, we are definitely looking forward to that. It may not necessarily be research-based journals and theses, but our faculty will be engaged with the business community in providing them research, enabling better business decisions.
BRR: Is there any plan to extend beyond the MBA programme in the near future?
SB: We would surely venture into non-degree programmes; short certificate courses, two- or three-day of training workshops, getting different industry personnel come in and train. Right now, it is the MBA programme of general management that we are offering. At some point in future we might venture into professional MBA as well. Our students' recruitment process will be competitive and the financial situation and the affordability will not be a hurdle. If we find a situation capable enough, we will be proving need-based financial assistance and scholarship programmes.
BRR: What will be your admission criteria and what will be the mode of teaching? Will it be lecture based or case based study?
SB: Admissions will initially be through online applications where we will require educational and professional backgrounds. The student should have a minimum of 16 years of HEC accredited education. We will need personal statements, letter of recommendations and the applicants will be invited for an interview. There will also be standardised examinations requirement. So, these are the criteria that will be used for an applicant's induction process. Diversity is something that we will be certainly looking for as it enriches the learning experience.
It will be a combination of both case based and lecture mode of study. It also varies on course to course and different faculty members.
BRR: Do you think Pakistani students are different in terms of their strengths and weaknesses?
SB: The students that I have met are inquisitive, interested, curious and motivated. I have not seen a stark difference, to be honest.
I have seen some of the brightest students make some drastic presentations because they are not confident enough. It is not that they are not capable; it is mostly because they have not had the opportunity to be on stage. I think it is more important to build confidence, with more opportunities to practise. The more opportunities the students have to give group presentations in their classes, the better they get at presenting when they step out in the practical world.
In order to encourage out of the box thinking, there is a need to encourage students to ask questions. They should ask anything they want. This is what that makes interaction the tool for generating fresh ideas and it also brings confidence amongst the students.
BRR: Is there any programme of students' exchange with Cambridge or other institutions?
SB: This is something that we have discussed but this is not something that is in our short-term plan.
BRR: Are you offering admissions to students across Pakistan or just Karachi?
SB: KSBL plans to conduct open houses across the country in Thatta, Hyderabaad, Islamabad, Multan, Sialkot, Lahore and other cities. We believe that diversity is extremely important and students from differing backgrounds provide fresh perspectives and foster creativity. We are relying heavily on meeting students and giving them a detailed preview of what they can expect at KSBL so that they can make an informed choice.
About KSBL
Karachi School of Business and Leadership started under the Karachi Educational Initiative which is a group of corporate leaders and businessmen who felt the need for a quality business school in Karachi. KSBL entered in a strategic collaborative agreement with University of Cambridge Judge Business School in 2009. Such a collaboration is the first of its kind by University of Cambridge and hence would play a significant role in improving the quality of higher education in Pakistan
According to the terms of the agreement the faculty and administration of Cambridge Judge Business School would play a huge part in setting up the curriculum and coursework for the MBA programme and the executive education programme. They would also send their faculty to teach the executive education programmes which would be taught at KSBL.