IBA collects Rs15m for Endowment Fund at fundraiser

The Institute of Business Administration (IBA) has collected Rs15 million at a fundraiser and the amount will go to the institute’s Endowment Fund, an official said on Friday.

It was the biggest fundraiser in the history of the institute that celebrated its 60th Foundation Day on its main campus on Thursday night, he said.

A launch ceremony for the IBA’s 60th anniversary celebrations was initiated with a dinner followed by a mesmerising musical performance by singing maestro Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

Set in the midst of the beautiful revamped campus against the backdrop of the magnificently lit Alumni Student’s Centre, the event was organised on the sprawling lawns of the IBA.

The fundraiser was organised by the IBA’s Alumni Society in collaboration with the Alumni Department and 60 dedicated volunteers worked day and night for three months to make the event a reality, the official said.

Almost 700 people attended the event, and the participants included the corporate sector, alumni, faculty and parents. The gold sponsor for the event was the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) with a generous contribution of Rs2.5 million, while significant contributors included Martin Dow and Adamjee Foundation both donating Rs1 million each.

The event was hosted by renowned TV actors and hosts Farooq Hasan (IBA Alumnus 1994) and Ayesha Sana. Significant guests included Pradeep Singh, Deputy Dean and CEO, Indian School of Business, accompanied by his wife Mrs Sumit Singh.

Addressing the audience, Dean and Director IBA Dr Ishrat Husain thanked everyone for contributing towards the endowment fund through this event and assured them that all the proceedings would go towards the fund to maintain resources and to support the expenses of deserving students.

After a delectable dinner, the audience enjoyed one soulful rendition after another by the legendary singer, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. He had the whole audience swaying to all-time classics such as ‘Dam mast qalandar Ali Ali’ and ‘Tumhey dillagi bhul jani parheygi’, as well as many newer hit songs of his.

The next event in line for the IBA’s 60-year celebrations is the students’ week scheduled to be held from May 1 to 4, followed by an exhibition showcasing Sadequain’s works in October. And in December, a book on the IBA’s history will also be launched. To mark the IBA’s 60th anniversary, Dr Hussain cut a cake and distributed plaques were to the gold sponsor NBP and Pradeep Singh.