The mission of GIFT Business School is to develop responsible leaders, support innovative entrepreneurial start-ups, and address the management challenges of Pakistan through research and industry engagement.
GIFT Business School (GBS) was created in 2002 to offer modern business and management education to the youth of Gujranwala division that included the urban population of Gujranwala, Gujrat, and Sialkot and nearby rural areas surrounding these cities.
At that time, GBS was one of the first private business schools in the entire Gujranwala division, with GIFT University being the only private university between Lahore and Islamabad. As a pioneer business school in the region, the school initially offered MBA and BBA programs. With the passage of time, however, it grew steadily in response to market needs and offered several new and innovative programs in Finance, Accounting, and Economics.
From the very beginning, the school was staffed with high-quality faculty, which had graduated from renowned foreign and national universities, such as the University of Texas, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Lahore School of Economics (LSE), and the Pak-American Institute of Management Sciences (Pak-AIMS). As a result of providing quality education, in a very short period, GBS became one of the best national business schools in the Higher Education Commission’s ‘Business Category’ listings.
Welcome to GIFT Business School. I am honored and grateful to serve the School of Business as its fifth dean. The school provides the best educational and research experience in the region in the fields of business administration, entrepreneurship, accounting, finance, economics, and commerce. Building on the university’s vision of converting knowledge into practical experience, the school offers a competency-based learning experience whereby our students gain knowledge of their relevant fields, develop skills by applying knowledge through a variety of practical activities, explore their inner selves to sharpen their moral judgment, and learn how to work with others by showing respect to the intellectual and behavioral diversities. We prepare students to make a difference by delivering value to society.
The school not only focuses on the industry needs of employing skillful professionals but also actively creating learning opportunities for the students to generate new business ideas and converting them into viable and scalable businesses. Drawing from the rich diversity and expertise of the region in entrepreneurship, our young entrepreneurs can bring innovation to markets through their business ideas and can improve the well-being of society through creating more jobs and economic activity.
University education is a long-term investment having serious implications for your future. Therefore, joining the right place is the first key step in that direction. There are many reasons why you should join our business school. First, the depth of learning experienced by our students is far richer than any other institution in the region. Second, our highly qualified faculty ensures that you learn relevant knowledge, skills, and long-term vision to confidently begin your careers as leaders and entrepreneurs. Third, the school is located in the region where entrepreneurship is in the air. The industrial and export-oriented network of three industrial cities of Gujranwala, Gujrat, and Sialkot provides tremendous opportunities for you to directly learn from these businesses. Fourth, the school offers several global opportunities whereby you can visit and learn from renowned international universities located in countries such as the USA, UK, Australia, China, Russia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Last but not the least, you will be able to develop your professional network by connecting with our alumni who are holding leading positions in prominent national and multinational companies in Pakistan and abroad and who are confidently leading their family businesses.
I invite you to become part of our vibrant community of academics, scientists, leaders, and entrepreneurs because now is the time to achieve your full potential.
Dr. Zaheer Abbas
Dean, GIFT Business School