ICMA Pakistan and Habib Bank Limited (HBL) have formalised a strategic partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening links between the professional education sector and the banking industry. The agreement was signed on September 24, 2026, during a ceremony held at HBL’s Head Office in Karachi, bringing together representatives from both institutions to establish a framework for greater cooperation and opportunities for ICMA students and members.
The MoU was signed by Aamir Ijaz Khan, FCMA, CMP, Executive Director at ICMA, and Majid Aziz, Head of Phygital at HBL. The signing ceremony was attended by Rauf Ali Jan, FCMA, Chief Internal Auditor at HBL, along with Shams Bhimani, Head of the Job Placements and Industrial Linkages Department at ICMA, and Muhammad Adnan Showkat, Deputy Director Finance at ICMA. Senior representatives from both HBL and ICMA also participated in the ceremony.
The partnership is intended to strengthen industry-academia linkages by connecting ICMA’s students and members with opportunities within the banking sector. Through the collaboration, the two institutions will work toward creating avenues for employment, internships, career development and professional growth. Such industry engagement can provide students and professional members with greater exposure to banking operations while allowing them to build practical experience alongside their academic and professional qualifications.
Employment and internship opportunities form a key component of the collaboration. The partnership provides a formal platform through which ICMA students and members can engage with HBL and gain exposure to professional opportunities within one of Pakistan’s banking institutions. The arrangement is also expected to support career development by creating opportunities for individuals to develop practical skills and gain experience relevant to their professional progression.
The collaboration also extends beyond employment and internships to broader professional development. Industry-academia partnerships can provide professional education institutions with greater interaction with employers and allow students to better understand the requirements of the workplace. In this case, the cooperation between ICMA Pakistan and HBL brings together ICMA’s professional and educational network with HBL’s banking operations, creating opportunities for engagement between students, members and the financial services industry.
HBL has also extended exclusive Islamic banking benefits to ICMA members, employees and students as part of the collaboration. The inclusion of Islamic banking services adds a financial services component to the partnership, giving members of the ICMA community access to the benefits offered under the arrangement. The initiative therefore combines professional and career-related cooperation with banking services for the institute’s wider community.
The signing ceremony brought together representatives from areas including internal audit, finance, job placements, industrial linkages and digital banking. Majid Aziz represented HBL’s Phygital function, while ICMA’s delegation included officials responsible for executive leadership, placements, industrial linkages and finance. The participation of officials from these areas reflects the range of functions involved in developing the partnership between the two institutions.
The agreement between ICMA Pakistan and HBL establishes a framework for continued engagement between professional education and the banking industry. For ICMA students and members, the collaboration is expected to create avenues for employment, internships, career development and professional growth, while HBL’s extension of Islamic banking benefits adds another dimension to the partnership. The September 24 signing at HBL’s Karachi Head Office marks the formalisation of this cooperation and provides a basis for further engagement between the two institutions.
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