IBA Karachi and The Jaffer Family of New York collaborate to establish a Data Science Center at IBA

January 05, 2024: The Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi hosted The Jaffer Family Foundation (JFF), a leading global non-profit organization committed to fostering education and innovation, in partnership with UGI (United Global Initiative), at the IBA through the recently held groundbreaking ceremony for The Jaffer Family of New York Data Science Center at IBA Main Campus on January 03, 2024. The ceremony brought together the senior leadership and faculty of IBA Karachi along with the Directors of the Jaffer Family Foundation to break ground on the site for the new facility.

To further cement JFF and UGI's commitment to supporting quality education, an MoU signing ceremony was held at the Movenpick hotel on January 05, 2024. The event included notable business and civic leaders including Chief Guest, Honorable Chief Minister of Sindh, Justice (Retd.) Maqbool Baqar; Executive Director, UGI, Dr. Hasnain Walji; Caretaker Minister, College Education Department, Mrs. Rana Hussain; and Honorable Home Minister of Sindh, Brigadier (Retd.) Haris Nawaz.

The ceremony commenced with a welcome note by Director Alumni Affairs, Resource Mobilization and Corporate Relations, IBA, Malahat Awan. She welcomed the Jaffar family to IBA and thanked them profusely for their generosity towards establishing a state-of-the-art Data Science center at IBA.

Dean, School of Mathematics and Computer Science (SMCS), Dr. Shakeel Khoja, informed the audience about the cutting-edge facilities being built in the center and its impact on the quality of research and academic rigor at the institute.

Executive Director IBA, Dr. S Akbar Zaidi, welcomed the guests to the momentous occasion and thanked the JFF family for their support. Dr. Zaidi reinforced the importance of philanthropic support in enabling the growth and quality of academic initiatives that are a long-term investment and not a short-term return. He recognized the contributions of the Jaffer family in supporting educational initiatives and welcomed their continued engagement in helping IBA Karachi reach new horizons.

Chairman, JFF, Alhaj Mohamedtaki Jaffer said that all praises belongs to the Almighty and that the Jaffer family are the custodians and stewards for this endeavor and humble executives for His divine work. He also said that this contribution reflects a deep-rooted commitment to education, empowerment, and serving humanity. Mr. Jaffer further added that the investment in this endeavor will yield dividends beyond measure, as the Jaffer family believes that education is a tremendous force towards societal enhancement and JFF's undertaking to build a state-of-the-art Data Science center will create immense opportunities for the future generations.

Concluding the ceremony, Justice (Retd.) Baqar expressed his support for such collaborations and commended JFF's incredible initiative. He applauded the foundation for their pivotal role in reshaping the future of higher education in Pakistan and for donating $1.5 million to the SMCS, IBA. He said that this act of generosity represents more than just financial support as it is a significant investment in the intellectual capital of our nation.

With a focus on fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, the center will empower students and researchers to explore future-positive technologies, conduct ground-breaking research and develop solutions to real-world problems. This initiative aligns perfectly with IBA Karachi's mission to be a world-class institution of higher education and will position it at the forefront of technological advancements in the region.

The construction of the center is set to commence in early 2024, with an expected completion date in 2026. Once operational, it will provide IBA Karachi students with an unmatched environment for learning, research, and innovation.