“INSPIRE”-ing for Knowledge Exchange and Research
by Lorraine Warren
The HEC-British Council funded International Strategic Partnership in Research and Education (INSPIRE) is in its second year of implementation at IMSciences. Rooted in the IMSciences’ academic linkage with the University of Southampton UK that was established in 2007, for the first-ever Split-Site PhD program in Pakistan, the project ascends this relationship to new levels by focusing on joint research, doctoral studies, curriculum development, faculty exchange and outreach. This far-reaching vision has seen to two faculty members (from IMSciences) at the brink of completing year 1 of their PhD program. Chosen after a thorough and intensive selection procedure the candidates are steadily moving towards completion of their studies in the disciplines of innovation and entrepreneurship giving a much-needed boost to academic diversity at the institute.
INSPIRE has also seen to the formation of an International Research Group (IRG) with faculty members from both partner HEIs. Under IRG’s umbrella, joint research is being carried out on “innovation and sustainable entrepreneurship” – which also happens to be the main theme of the project. This joint research intends to minutely focus on the native and prominent leather and gemstone sectors of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. As part of the project’s outcomes, research papers are to be submitted to different international conferences as well as subsequent publications in high-ranking academic journals by the start of 2014 further contributing to the institute’s emerging research focus.
Trail-blazing forward, in curriculum development, “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” will be introduced as a separate specialization track in the BBA and MS Management programs through a phased approach. The relevant course syllabi finalized in collaboration with the University of Southampton are to be submitted for formal approval at IMSciences by early 2013.
Under INSPIRE, two International Research Seminar Series were also organized for students in 2011-12. A total of seven seminars were conducted through video conferencing by academics of international repute – see next post for details of the seminar series
Owing to the continued success of INSPIRE, the British Council has further extended the knowledge exchange focus of the project by approving SPEKE (Strategic Partnership Extension: Knowledge Exchange) for IMSciences. SPEKE is hence, the second project, which builds upon the outcomes of INSPIRE. It focuses on strengthening knowledge exchange through skills development and enterprise for small businesses and students in north-west Pakistan. The project will enter its implementation phase during the second half of 2013.
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