Supporting SMEs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Partner Institutes
School of Management, University of Southampton	Institute of Management Sciences

In recent times, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has had the misfortune of making headlines for all the wrong reasons – whether as the hub of terrorist activity or as the scene of devastating bomb blasts. Yet the province has so much more to offer, in terms of culture and also in the field of academics.

The Institute of Management Sciences, Peshawar is the foremost business school in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a leading institute of Pakistan in management and business education. It seeks to contribute to the uplift of a conflict-ridden and economically unstable region by equipping its graduates with skills that can help them function as successful professionals and entrepreneurs.

The institute is collaborating with the School of Management, University of Southampton to develop a knowledge exchange and research programme in two new management disciplines–sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation. These areas have been chosen because small and medium enterprises (SME) in Pakistan, particularly in the north-west region, have traditionally struggled to perform well.

This project seeks to establish the Institute of Management Sciences as the principal resource for the students as well as the SME industry in the region for teaching, learning and for the development of necessary new knowledge and applied research.

This two-way flow of information will benefit both institutes. The Institute of Management Sciences will increase its research income and develop new connections. The students and faculty will gain international exposure and new skills. In the longer term, the project aims to increase the number of start-ups in the region, and eventually improve SME performance.

For the University of Southampton, the project seeks to enhance the already existing relationship with the Institute of Management Sciences established in 2006. The benefits include long-term academic engagements with a business school in a poor and underdeveloped part of the world, further opportunities for research and exposure to a new culture.

Lessons Learnt:

• The purpose of this INSPIRE partnership is Knowledge EXCHANGE not Knowledge TRANSFER.  The mechanisms through which we achieve this (split site, joint research, shared supervision, curriculum development) continue to grow and need to be reinforced and developed.  Benefits achieved at IMS may be transferable to other institutions in the region.

Challenges Faced:

• Travel insurance difficulties have caused problems in travel to Pakistan but we have worked hard on this with our University administrators, and are making progress towards resolving the problem.

Impact of the Project:

• School of Management at University of Southampton and IMS have formed a strong relationship that will persist beyond the life of the project.  This is based on research relationships (publication, journals and conferences) that persist once split-site PhD students have completed.  This INSPIRE partnership will also make improvements to business development in the Peshawar region, and with the right support, these benefits, once tested and refined, could be amplified to other regions.

Key Contacts:  

Dr Lorraine Warren, School of Management, University of Southampton

lw4@soton.ac.uk, www.soton.ac.uk

Dr. Muhammad Nauman, IMS

muhammad.nouman@IMSciences.edu.pk, www.imsciences.edu.pk