Lahore, February 14, 2022 (PPI-OT):With the aim to provide an opportunity for the senior corporate practitioners to interface and share their unique ethical experiences of life with the students and their lecturers, the University of Lahore and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) jointly organized a seminar branded as “Corporate Practitioners Interface with Academia” on December 27, 2021 at Pearl Continental Hotel, Lahore.
Themed on Challenges of Ethical Living, the seminar was executed as part of the Global Integrity Education Project aimed at promoting integrity, accountability and anti-corruption in all segments of society, especially the youth leaders of tomorrow. The event also covered aspects of UN’s SDG 16 that focuses on Peace, Justice and Strong Institution.
Mr. Jehanzaib Iqbal (Senior Management Associate, UNODC), Dr. Maryam Iqbal Kiani (Director, Executive Development Centre and Career Service and Corporate Linkages, UOL), Prof. Dr. Rizwan Akram Rana (HoD, Education Department) and Mr. Muhammad Afzal (Director, QEC, UOL) along with their teams were at the core of arranging this seminar that was moderated by Professor Syed Hussain Haider (Vice Chairman, Pakistan Institute of Human Rights).
The University of Lahore was optimally represented by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf (Rector, UOL) as chief guest, Prof. Dr. Syed Amir Gilani (Dean of Allied Health Science) as key note speaker, senior teaching and non-teaching staff, and more than 200 students from various departments. Dr. Gilani highlighted the value of honesty as an ethical and moral value and thanked UNODC for partnering with UOL on such a global cause.
The Rector shared his vast experience in ethical leadership and commended the Punjab Forensic Science Agency, Motorway Police and Daewoo for being exemplary institutions. He called upon the faculty to be upright role models for their students. He advised the participants to always learn from the experiences of others.
UNODC commends UOL for effective collaboration
During his opening remarks, Mr. Iqbal who is the Head of Global Integrity Education Project (GIEP) in Pakistan, applauded the commitment and dedication of UOL in the implementation of the project. “We are very grateful to Chairman BoG, Mr. Awais Raoof, Dr. Maryam Kiani, Mr. Muhammad Afzal and other members of the senior management of the University for your support. We have worked with you for one year and the results are amazing. Under this collaboration, 38 faculty members have been certified as Integrity Teachers and they are now teaching the modules on integrity and ethics to their students at UOL”, he remarked.
As moderator, Prof. Haider elaborated the goals of GIEP saying that the program has so far benefited more than 7,000 students in Pakistan alone. He observed that the program strengthens other conventional disciplines that are taught in all universities. He equally thanked UOL for actively taking part in this ethical-based program. He added that GIEP is being piloted in Pakistan, Mexico and Kenya.
Corporate gurus share their take
Mr. Ameen Ahsan (Chief Executive Officer, Air SIAL Ltd/ Nizam Sons Ltd.), Mr. Nadeem Anwar Qureshi (Chief Executive Officer, SIGMA Shoes Ltd.), Mr. Sajid Khan Batoor (Vice President, Daewoo Pakistan), Mr. Haroon Ahmed Shabbir (Group Head HR, Amentis Technologies), Mr. Zia ul Aleem Khan (Head Supply Chain Finance, HBL) and Mr. Atif Tufail (Ex-Chief HR Officer, Akhuwat) were the corporate gurus who attended the event to enrich the knowledge of the students and teachers.
Mr. Ahsan enumerated the reasons behind the weak institutions in today’s society. He said that many company owners mainly focus on the employees’ responsibilities and forget about their rights. “Focusing on responsibilities only causes failure in good production”, he said adding that the respect of employees’ rights creates a better working environment and enhances motivation. He advised the participants to emulate the Prophet (peace be upon him) in all aspects of life. “Ethical standards are taught by our faith, and emphasized in our homes by parents. As parents, we need to be good examples to our children”, he said.
Mr. Zia ul Aleem asked universities to tailor their degree programs to the practical needs of the society. He observed that the ethical values are known to all but the will to implement is what all stakeholders must focus on. He shared his personal experience which indicated that he learnt less in an academic institution but gained more from his practical life.
Mr. Anwar proclaimed that educational institutions should implement 6-month practical work or internship programs, similar to what medical students have, to boost practical learning of the students. He emphasized prompt payment of salaries while referring to employees as team members. “My experience tells me that once you motivate your staff, you can enjoy better results. We have introduced many incentives to our staff that have made them happy and productive”, he said.
Mr. Batoor shared his experiences with Daewoo Pakistan and cited several practices that have made the company to prosper. “We are sensitive to gender issues. We stand against bribery and any element of corruption. We emphasize professionalism and are against hiding CCTV cameras anywhere in our premises. We trust our staff and because of this, they act responsibly”, he said.
Mr. Tufail asked the participants to always share their inner feelings, be ready to learn and be exemplary. While summarizing the views of the panel discussion, Mr. Shabbir lauded the business community of Sialkot for exhibiting ethical leadership and Daewoo Pakistan for their commitment to the safety of staff. The event culminated with question-answer session followed by souvenir presentation among the panellists and a group photo.
For more information, contact:
The University of Lahore
1 – KM Defence Road, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-111-865-865, +92-42-35322501 +92-42-35321761
Email: info@uol.edu.pk
Website: www.uol.edu.pk
