Aims and Objectives of Riphah Business Resource Center

	To provide full range of business consulting services to the industry.
	To offer professional assistance to industry in quality assurance and human resource development .
	To develop sustainable liaison and interaction with the industry and to coordinate internship/job opportunity for the graduating students.
	To establish Industry - Academia relationship, on regular and long term basis, for continually upgrading/ updating RIU programmes vis-à-vis the changing industry requirements.

The progressive organizations all over the world, as well as in Pakistan, are increasingly realizing their Corporate Social Responsibilities. They are already committing sizeable resources for overall betterment of the areas and the communities they operate in. It is an undeniable fact that the socio- economic development of a community as well as of a country is inextricably linked with higher education, development of human resources, scientific research and innovation in technology. These are the areas that particularly deserve the support of the industry for achieving the ultimate and common goal of attaining sustained development with its benefits accruing to all segments of the society.

In order to achieve the stated objectives, RBRC has prepared a comprehensive plan to establish a long term and mutually rewarding partnership between RIU and progressive organizations of the industry. In this regard, Riphah Business Resource Centre (RBRC) has established a strategic partnership with WSI No.1 internet consulting compnay and Plexus (pvt) Ltd WSI’s certified production facility in Pakistan. The salient features of the plan are:

1- Advisory Board.

A board, comprising of prominent business executives, established professionals, eminent educationists and the representatives of recognized business associations, is being constituted to act as an advisory body to RBRC. The board will also act as a bridge and permanent liaison between the academia and the industry for identifying and defining each others requirements. RIU fully subscribe to the fact that neither academia nor industry can flourish in their respective spheres if they remain oblivious to each others ever changing environments. It is envisaged that the Board will initiate and maintain dialogues between the two major stakeholders and will ensure that ideas so generated are translated into actions for the benefit of all concerned.

2- Advisory BoardCourses for Continuing Education and Professional Development.

RBRC will arrange workshops, seminars and short course (the Programmes) which meet the general and specific requirements of the industry. These Programmes are to be designed and presented either by relevant RIU faculty or by the master trainers/professional presenters.

The Programmes will be offered to selected organizations for sponsorships. The sponsor(s) will be provided with attractive benefits like free participation of given number of their delegates, display of their business logo in the promotional material, invitation to their senior executive(s) as guest speakers and/or chief guests for the Programmes.

3- Tailor made in-house Courses.

RBRC has the capability to design and conduct tailor made in house courses to meet the specific training requirements of any organization. After carrying out a detailed assessment of the training requirements, specific courses will be developed with particular focus on the weaker areas. Such courses will preferably be carried out at the organization’s premises to facilitate the participation by the maximum number of the eligible employees as well as to keep the participants’ time away from the job to the minimum.

An integrated annual training plan can also be developed to equip the identified officers and executives, working in various departments, with the knowledge and skills that they must possess for taking up the responsibilities of the higher positions in the management hierarchy. This plan may also be blended with the organization’s promotion policy by making the successful completion of such courses as mandatory for elevation to the higher classification of service i.e. grade, group or cadre etc. It would ensure that the officers/executives who are being given more important assignments and responsibilities in the organization do possess the required know how.

Keeping in view the vast potential and willingness of the industry to make meaningful contributions towards the advancement of education, RBRC has prepared well thought out plans to set up an Industry- Academia partnership. Some of the areas that would provide a base for establishing the long term relationship are stated below:

4- Liaison with the Industry.

Keeping in view the vast potential and willingness of the industry to make meaningful contributions towards the advancement of education, RBRC has prepared well thought out plans to set up an Industry- Academia partnership. Some of the areas that would provide a base for establishing the long term relationship are stated below:

Applied Research Projects Funded by the Industry.

All the faculties of the RIU are prepared to undertake research projects to meet the particular requirement of the industry or the sponsoring organization. Such project may range from market research/ survey on a given subject to the solutions of management, engineering or IT problems. This arrangement will not only provide very cost effective solutions to the various problems of the industry but will also afford an extremely rewarding opportunity to the faculty members and the students of RIU to apply their knowledge in practical terms.

Basic Research Projects Funded by the Industry.

Basic research remains the most important source of new knowledge, inventions, technological advancements and innovation. However, basic research is also a very expensive endeavor with no promise of ultimate success. A number of perfectly valid research ideas have to be abandoned at the embryonic stages due to the resource constraints at the universities, especially in the developing countries like Pakistan. This, therefore, is the precise area where the industry can make the most significant contributions. RBRC will prepare a data-base of those organizations which consent to support the basic research activities of various faculties at RIU. Research proposals will be presented to the listed organizations to seek funding on case to case basis.

Merit cum Need Based Scholarships.

The industry will be facilitated and encouraged to institute merit cum need based scholarships for the student(s) of the faculty of their choice. Such a benevolent act will ensure that no talented and deserving student is denied higher education only because he/she is unable to afford it. RIU of course offers similar scholarships from its endowment fund but the numbers have to be limited due to overall limit of the available funds. The names of the sponsoring organizations will be included in the prospectus and other similar publications for duly acknowledging their contributions. The progress of the recipients of the scholarships will be closely monitored and the sponsoring organizations will be kept informed to demonstrate that their contributions are actually being utilized for the intended purpose.

Internship for the RIU Students.

A concern is often expressed by the industry that the fresh university graduates are too focused on the theoretical knowledge and have no or very little understanding of the real life business environment. Consequently, the industry has to invest considerable time and money to train them before they are able to make any contribution to the organization. RIU, being conscious of this concern, is taking steps to familiarize the students with the real life situations by arranging their field visits, assigning projects with practical orientation and inviting industry leaders as guest speakers. However, the opportunity for the genuine exposure to the actual business practices, in the disciplined business environment, can only be offered by the industry. RBRC has devised a plan to arrange, through RIU Faculties, the internships of the students in the industry in a systematic manner with built in monitoring and evaluation mechanism. The salient feature of the plan are:

A list of organizations willing to participate in the plan will be prepared by the concerned Faculty/Institution.

Students joining the second last semester of their academic programmes will be allocated the organizations out of the list by relating their areas of studies and the nature of the organizations’ business.

The students will be required to acquire detailed information about the allocated organization and keep its progress under study through out the semester by referring to the published data and through personal interaction with the designated executive of the organization.

At the end of the semester, the students will write, under the guidance of the faculty members, comprehensive and analytical reports on their allocated organizations. Copy of the report will also be provided to the organization.

The participating organizations will be requested to provide 6-8 weeks internships, for on the job training, to the respective students during semester breaks and/or at the end of the final semester. Full support by the RIU faculties will remain available to the student internees, particularly on special jobs/projects assigned by the organizations

The arrangement would surely prove to be mutually beneficial. While the RIU will enjoy the confidence that its students are assured of internship avenues, the participating organizations will have the services of the internees who would be already familiar with the organizations’ business and operations.