Michael Sheppard and Rauf Abdul Having Productive Discussions with Student Agencies and Universities 

With the goal of discussing partnerships, networking and promoting Wittenborg, Recruitment & Sales Representative Michael Sheppard and Head of the School of Business Rauf Abdul were in Pakistan from 23 October to 3 November. 

In addition to meeting with student agencies, the two representatives visited three prestigious Pakistani higher education institutions, having the opportunity to meet their deans. In Lahore, Sheppard and Abdul went to the University of the Punjab’s Hailey College of Banking and Finance and to Suleman Dawood Business School at the Lahore University of Management Science (LUMS), which is the first and currently only AACSB-accredited institute in Pakistan. And, in Islamabad, they visited Bahria University, a 20,000-student institution which is currently seeking AACSB accreditation.  

During the visits to student agencies, the discussions centred on the needs of Pakistani students, the countries where they would like to study and the main aspects of life in the Netherlands, as well as Wittenborg and its courses. The response was very positive, and while Abdul and Sheppard met with some agencies that already collaborate with Wittenborg, they also visited new organisations to broaden the school’s horizons in Pakistan.  

The university visits, in turn, were aimed at discussing possibilities for long-term collaboration and strategic partnerships. Moreover, the representatives had the opportunity to deliver lectures to sizeable groups of students on Wittenborg’s courses and life and opportunities in the Netherlands. 

Sheppard highlighted that at Hailey College – Abdul’s own alma mater – they spoke to approximately 220 students, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. “The Pakistani students have a very strong impression of the Netherlands. They are aware that both the Dutch standard of education and standard of living are very high. And they’re also aware that the Netherlands is a place that can provide them with a lot of opportunities.” 

He added that it was especially nice to have Abdul there as a successful Pakistani professional who could really engage with the students and be a role model to show them what they could achieve. “It was genuinely a pleasure and a privilege to have Rauf participate in this assignment. Besides being very friendly and easy to get on with, he is an expert in the business industry, and he is very well-established and incredibly knowledgeable about Wittenborg itself. So, he was essential for the success of this trip.” 

According to Abdul, the experience of promoting Wittenborg in Pakistan was a great success. 

“We had the opportunity to meet with education consultants and students who were eager to study abroad. We were able to provide them with information about the school's mission, degree programmes, courses offered and scholarships available to international students. The students were very impressed with the teaching and research approach of Wittenborg, and the consultants were pleased to have the Wittenborg team for the first time in Pakistan. On top of that, working together with Michael was an excellent experience, and it was an honour to accompany him to Pakistan.” 

The Head of the School of Business pointed out that he will remain in contact with the universities visited to ensure that these partnerships will bear fruit. “We will support Bahria University’s initiative to get accredited by AACSB and we also had very productive meetings with the other institutions. These discussions were really constructive when it comes to potential student and staff mobility and research collaborations. I will follow them up to achieve the best out of this visit,” Abdul concluded. 

WUP 21/11/2023
by Ullisses Sawczuk
©WUAS Press