Thousands of bankers, business administration students and corporate heads in the Punjab will remember Professor Khawaja Amjad Saeed who died in Lahore on Thursday. He was 78.
With a teaching career that went beyond 40 years, Professor Saeed was widely known among his students and colleagues as a competent teacher and an eminent author.
“Saeed was a legendary educationist who established the Institute of Business Administration, the first business school, in the Punjab at the Punjab University. He was also the founding principal of Hailey College of Banking and Finance.
It is a rare honour for an educational personality to set up two prestigious institutions,” said Punjab University Vice Chancellor Mujahid Kamran.
“He was a renowned educationalist and internationally-acknowledged for his work. His death is an irreparable loss for the country and the vacuum created by his death cannot be filled,” he added.
During his 48-year career, Professor Khawaja travelled to over 100 countries to deliver lectures and attend workshops.
He authored over three dozen books on banking, finance and accounting, many of which are taught in business schools.
Professor Saeed started his teaching career as lecturer in 1965 at the Punjab University where he taught BCom and MCom classes from 1965 to 1973.
He became the founding director of Institute of Business Studies at the Punjab University in 1973 and served as its director till 1996.
During this time, he brought many innovations in banking and finance teaching techniques.
He retired on March 20, 1996 but continued teaching as a visiting professor at the Punjab University and at various other universities in Pakistan, Australia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, India, Iran, USA and Bangladesh.
He was appointed the founding principal of Hailey College of Banking and Finance at the Punjab University in February 2003 and served there till his death.
He had served as visiting professor at the Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad, India since 1997, one of the top 10 business schools in India.
He also taught at the World Bank Economic Development Institute’s (EDI) programmes in Pakistan.
Professor Saeed Khawaja was recipient of many awards.
He received Devan Metharam Dharmadas Trust Award, a recognition for grades in advanced accounts in the examination of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan in 1964.
He was twice awarded Appreciation Scroll by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), New York for contributions made to the accounting profession worldwide.
He was awarded Professor John O Miller AO Award by Swinburne Graduate School of Management, Melbourne, Australia in 1999.
The funeral prayers will be offered on Sunday to allow participation by his children who are to return from abroad.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2014.