Introduction

The Center for Information and Research (CIR) is a part of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science & Technology (SZABIST), SZABIST is a Chartered Institute established through an Act of Sindh Assembly (Sindh Act No. XI of 1995) and is approved and recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) as a degree granting institution. SZABIST has Campuses in Karachi, Islamabad, Larkana & Dubai (UAE). SZABIST is a registered member of the International Association of Universities (IAU), Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), Asia University Federation (AUF) and the Association of SAARC Universities (ASU).

Asia Inc, a leading Asian Magazine, has ranked SZABIST among top MBA Schools of South Asia in its latest Asia’s Best MBA Schools Survey 2004 (Asia Inc) for the second consecutive year (2003, 2004). SZABIST is one of the top 15 business schools from South Asia ranked in Asia Inc.

BusinessWeek, the leading international business magazine, in its latest online edition has listed SZABIST among the best business schools of the world for the fourth consecutive year (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004). SZABIST is listed along with other top schools of the world including Wharton, Kellogg, Harvard and MIT. SZABIST is one of the top 20 business schools from Asia recognized by BusinessWeek. Only two business schools from Pakistan are listed in BusinessWeek.

SZABIST is also ranked among the best Science and Technology and MBA schools in Asia by the CNN-Time publication Asiaweek. In fact, SZABIST has the unparalleled honor of being the only Pakistani Institute to be listed in both categories in such prestigious publications (BusinessWeek, Asiaweek and Asia Inc).

Objectives of CIR

The objectives behind the establishment of the Center for Information and Research at SZABIST are as under:

• To introduce modern inter-disciplinary approaches to the study of socio-economic, political and governance issues relating to Sindh, Pakistan and South Asia.

• To develop a database on all the important socio-economic as well as political and governance issues to facilitate further research and awareness activities in those fields for all the stakeholders.

• To disseminate relevant information to all the stakeholders including government, policy makers, international development organizations, general public and local communities.

• To provide professional consultancies to governmental and non-governmental organizations, multinationals and other international organizations through the trained and qualified research scholars.

• To initiate training and awareness programs through conferences, training workshops, certificate courses, counseling and guest-speaker sessions to facilitate the exchange of ideas and experiences in order to broaden the intellectual base in the country.