Client Name

Unilever Pakistan Limited

Faculty Advisor

Ms. Kanza Sohail Khanani

SBS Thought Leadership Areas

Behavioural Studies

SBS Thought Leadership Area Justification

Alignment with Thought Leadership Areas 1. Behavioral Studies Our project is deeply rooted in behavioral science as it explores how individuals—students, employers, and academics—perceive, prioritize, and act upon skill development and employability. • Example: Through surveys and interviews with HR professionals and students, we assessed behavioral patterns such as perceived preparedness vs. actual preparedness, and identified cognitive gaps in areas like ownership, resilience, and learning agility. • Using behavioral data, we discovered that even when certain skills like “resilience” are critical, students often underestimate their importance—showing a clear disconnect in self-perception and market expectations. • By incorporating insights from behavioral economics and educational psychology, we proposed nudging mechanisms (e.g., gamified skill dashboards, self-assessment tools, and mock simulations) to shift student mindset from passive learning to active skill ownership. 2. Entrepreneurship and Innovation This project is a direct response to the urgent need for entrepreneurial thinking in education reform and graduate employability. • Example: We identified skill-building models from leading entrepreneurial ecosystems such as MIT’s D-Lab and African Leadership Academy's Student Enterprise Program—highlighting how real-world exposure, prototyping, and entrepreneurial responsibility can close skills gaps. • The project itself is an innovation-led diagnostic framework—combining data analytics (heatmaps, gap analysis) with best practices benchmarking to produce actionable solutions for universities. • Furthermore, by recommending entrepreneurial curriculum interventions (e.g., industry-linked final year projects, experiential labs, and student-led innovation centers), we promote a culture of innovation within traditional academia. In essence, the project doesn’t just study gaps—it uses a behavioral lens to understand them and an entrepreneurial lens to solve them. This dual approach ensures relevance, impact, and sustainability, aligning strongly with both selected Thought Leadership themes.

Aligned SDGs

GOAL 4: Quality Education

Aligned SDGs Justification

How the Project Aligns with the Selected SDGs SDG 4 – Quality Education This project supports the transformation of higher education by identifying skill gaps between university curricula and market needs. By integrating global best practices and data-backed insights, it encourages academic institutions to adopt more relevant, practical, and skills-based learning models that improve graduate readiness. SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth Through rigorous analysis of 50+ job descriptions and interviews with 20+ HR professionals, the project pinpoints specific gaps in graduate employability. It aims to improve job alignment by promoting modern, future-focused skill development—ultimately enabling sustainable employment and economic contribution from youth. SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure By fostering partnerships between academia and industry, this project contributes to building robust educational infrastructure. Examples include the recommendation of setting up innovation labs, incorporating AI/ML into curricula, and integrating real-world simulations—thereby making institutions more innovative and adaptive. SDG 10 – Reduced Inequality The project addresses equity concerns voiced by students, such as brand bias, limited exposure, and lack of access to mentorship. It proposes solutions like inclusive recruitment support, experiential learning across all institutions (not just elite ones), and feedback-driven skill-building programs to level the playing field. SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals This project is rooted in cross-sector collaboration—built on the input of academia, industry leaders, student voices, and global insights like the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report. Its structure relies on ongoing partnerships to ensure the continuous relevance, effectiveness, and impact of educational interventions.

Section 4. Ethical considerations.

What are the Ethical considerations and implications of your project/ thesis? Elaborate with examples. (For details on Ethical considerations, see your Project guidelines document) *

Ethical Considerations and Implications This project deals directly with the intersection of education, employability, and corporate readiness, and therefore carries several ethical considerations that were carefully accounted for at every stage. 1. Informed Consent and Voluntary Participation All data gathered through surveys and interviews with HR professionals and corporate leaders was collected with their informed consent. Participants were clearly briefed on the purpose of the study, how the data would be used, and the voluntary nature of their participation. No personal or sensitive information was shared publicly. 2. Data Anonymity and Confidentiality To protect individual and institutional identities, all responses were anonymized. The project ensures that no organization or respondent is identifiable in the final outputs. This was critical to maintaining trust and ensuring honest, bias-free responses. 3. Academic Integrity and Source Transparency The project utilized validated sources such as the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report and case studies from global universities. All references and data sources were transparently cited to uphold academic credibility and intellectual honesty. 4. Avoidance of Institutional Bias The project ensures neutrality by incorporating insights from both top-tier and mid-tier universities, as well as a diverse range of corporate partners across sectors. This inclusiveness prevents bias toward any particular institution and helps democratize access to best practices. 5. Respecting Student and Faculty Voice Student concerns (e.g., limited feedback, recruitment inequality) and academic challenges (e.g., lack of resources, need for upskilling) were treated with sensitivity. These voices were used to build solutions—not to critique or undermine either group. 6. Implications on Equity and Access By recommending structural reforms (e.g., accessible career services, mock interviews, and upskilling modules), the project aims to reduce inequality in the job market. However, care has been taken to ensure that such reforms do not unintentionally widen existing gaps between resource-rich and resource-limited institutions.

NDA

Yes

Abstract

Pakistan's higher education landscape has undergone significant expansion over the past decade, producing a growing number Of graduates in fields such as Management Sciences, Engineering, and Social Sciences. However, this growth has not translated into a workforce that is adequately equipped to meet the dynamic and evolving demands Of the corporate sector. A persistent and widening skills gap exists between what academic institutions are currently producing and what employers require from entry-level talent. Fresh graduates often enter the workforce with strong theoretical knowledge but lack the practical, technological, and behavioral competencies essential for immediate workplace contribution. This disconnect not only hampers graduate employability but also hinders corporate productivity, innovation, and long-term growth. Recognizing the urgency Of this challenge, this initiative seeks to reimagine the process Of talent generation by strengthening the bridge between academia and industry. The primary objective of this initiative is to align the output of academic institutions with the realities Of the labor market, ensuring that students are both job-ready and future-ready. The goal is not only to improve student employability but also to enable organizations to attract talent that is better prepared to drive business outcomes in an increasingly complex and digital-first economy. By integrating employer feedback directly into the curriculum design process, this initiative aims to create a system where academic programming is continuously responsive to emerging skill demands and workplace expectations. TO achieve this objective, a multi-phased methodology was deployed, combining both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Over 50 entry-level job descriptions (JDS) were collected and analyzed from a diverse range Of industries including FMCG, pharmaceuticals, tech, banking, and

energy. This content analysis allowed for the extraction Of key technical and soft skills most commonly expected from graduates. Complementing this, over 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted with HR leaders, talent acquisition heads, and domain-specific managers to validate findings from the JDs and uncover deeper insights into performance gaps, future competencies, and emerging industry trends. These findings were then benchmarked against global frameworks, particularly the World Economic Forum's Future Of Jobs Reports (2020 and 2023), to ensure alignment With international trends such as analytical thinking, digital literacy, and emotional intelligence. The resulting dataset yielded a robust skill taxonomy Of 122 unique competencies, categorized into technical/functional and domains. To quantify the skill gaps, a nationwide survey was administered via QuestionPro to professionals across sectors. The survey captured perceptions of students' current skill levels versus desired competency levels using a five-point Likert scale. With 96 complete responses from hiring managers, HR executives, team leads, and early-career mentors, the dataset was statistically analyzed to determine the magnitude of skill gaps across functions such as HR, Finance, Sales, Supply Chain, and Marketing. A Skill Gap Index (SGI) was developed using mean difference analysis and heatmap visualization, enabling a clear view of where the most critical mismatches lie. The analysis revealed that across all domains, data-driven decision-making, analytical skills, and digital fluency consistently showed high levels of deficiency. For instance, in HR, the largest gaps were observed in performance management (40.86%), change management (40.00%), and data analytics (38.94%). In Supply Chain, skills like artificial intelligence and machine learning (50.000/0), demand forecasting (47.62%), and blockchain integration (46.67%) emerged as areas Of serious concern. Finance showed significant deficiencies in ESG and sustainable finance

(50.000/0), financial modeling (45.16%), and quantitative analysis (44.83%). Sales and Marketing faced major gaps in predictive analytics, CRM systems, and consumer insight. Meanwhile, cross- functional soft skills such as ownership, resilience, systems thinking, and learning agility were notably lacking, suggesting a broader need for behavioral transformation alongside technical capability. In response to these findings, the report curates a set Of global and local best practices aimed at addressing the most pressing gaps. Internationally, programs from institutions like MIT, Wharton, LSEs and NYU Stern are cited for their integration of real-world tools and experiential learning approaches, including simulation-based training, live analytics projects, and design-thinking pedagogy. Locally, successful models such as IBA Karachi's "Personal Effectiveness" course, LUMS's NIC Foundry Program, NUST's 5G Hackathon, and Air University's CyberStorm Ideathon demonstrate how strategic academic-industry collaborations can embed workplace- relevant skills into the undergraduate experience. The report concludes with a forward-looking action plan for academia, corporate partners, and policymakers. For universities, it recommends embedding high-gap skills into core curricula, investing in faculty upskilling, and co-developing capstone projects with industry, For corporates, it suggests strengthening internship-to-hiring pipelines, supporting micro-credentialing efforts, and participating in curriculum design advisory boards. Ultimately, this initiative lays the groundwork for a talent development ecosystem that is agile, inclusive, and strategically aligned with both national development goals and global workforce standards.

Document Type

Restricted Access

Document Name for Citation

Experiential Learning Project

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