Structure and Curricula of Business Education under New Normal (Student Centricity for Employability and Economic Growth in Pakistan)

Abstract

Education is to serve a purpose otherwise it becomes meaningless. Since it creates awareness, therefore, has been the priority of mankind ever since their emergence and will continue to be so in times to come. Society gazes at the end result i.e., how well universities prepare the graduates for their professional lives. This notion decides the very purpose and foundation of any education system. Business education is to give skills to young entrepreneurs to run businesses, operate factories and manage organizations. This means objectives-based business education which is possible when there is perfect synch among business schools, corporate sector, and society. In student centricity approach, the business schools need to produce graduates with corporate outlook who could develop enterprises. The main factors to produce professionals include curricula, faculty, infrastructure and above all vision of the business school. COVID-19 has given new experience to business schools i.e. operating under off-campus environments. Obviously, this ‘New Normal’ is different as entrepreneurial practices have been reshaped. This paper outlines curricula of business education to reemphasize employment of technology in education and its management. The study shall enable the business schools to harness the curricula with new realities of quality education and competitive skills. Accordingly, the study takes into account the stakeholders like students, faculty members, people from the corporate sector, parents, government officials and members from the civil society. Despite having different views, the stakeholders agree to the need of adopting different approaches for quality business education under ‘New Normal’.