Mubarak Ali Case Centre inaugurated at IBA to change business education landscape

A study centre called IBA Mubarak Ali Case Centre (IBA MACC) has been launched with joint initiative of the Mubarak Ali Foundation and the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) at Dhaka University to create and highlight Bangladeshi business case studies for students locally and globally.

Its inauguration began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the IBA campus on Friday afternoon, followed by a gala event at The Intercontinental Dhaka later in the evening, where luminaries from academia and industry gathered to honour this transformative endeavour, reads a press release.

The event celebrated the legacy of the late Mubarak Ali, a visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist who profoundly influenced the country's business and education sectors. As the Founder and Managing Director of Olympic Industries Ltd., Mubarak Ali successfully took a resilient company to the pinnacle of success in the last four decades.

Founded after his name, the Case Centre is poised to revolutionise business education in Bangladesh by integrating contextualised, real-world business case studies into the curriculum, aligning more closely with global educational standards, said Amreen Bashir Ali and Tanveer Ali, founders of the Mubarak Ali Foundation, highlighted the vision behind the initiative.

"The Mubarak Ali Case Centre is not just an academic institution; it is a beacon of practical learning designed to prepare future leaders with a deep understanding of the global business environment through the lens of localised challenges," added Ms Amreen.

The initiative of establishing the Case Center was taken to commemorate the versatile life and legacy of Mubarak Ali, who passed away on April 28, 2023. The centre promises to cultivate a new generation of leaders equipped to navigate and shape the future of business both locally and globally.

Through various initiatives including IBA MACC, the Mubarak Ali Foundation continues to foster sustainable development and excellence in education, art and architecture. In art, the foundation supports the Emerging Artist Prize at the renowned Frieze Art Fair in London. Its commitment to these areas reflects Mubarak Ali's lifelong dedication to community upliftment and social responsibility.

The centre's collaboration with Harvard Business School Publishing and Indian Institute of Management Bangalore has been instrumental in developing a framework that supports the crafting and dissemination of case studies focused on Bangladeshi businesses. This approach is expected to ensure that students gain a comprehensive understanding of both the challenges and opportunities inherent in emerging markets.

Professor Mohammad A Momen, Director of IBA, underscored the importance of the partnership, saying that the collaboration "enables us to enrich our curriculum and teaching methodologies, setting new benchmarks for business education in Bangladesh."

Dviwesh Mehta from Harvard Business School Publishing said, "This initiative not only highlights the potential of Bangladeshi businesses on the global stage but also sets a precedent for the kind of impactful educational partnerships that can drive real change. Together, we are crafting a narrative of success that is rooted in real-world relevance and transformative educational experiences."

Professor U Dinesh Kumar from the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore pointed out, "IIM Bangalore (IIMB) is delighted to collaborate with IBA Mubarak Ali Case Centre on this significant initiative. This partnership will serve as a platform to showcase the ingenuity and effectiveness of Bangladeshi business models on a global scale. By fostering the development of case studies, this collaboration will provide valuable insights for companies worldwide."