School of Business & Economics (SBE) at UMT has taken the initiative to bridge the gap between retail & services industry and the academia by establishing the Center for Retail & Services Marketing (CRASM). The initiative is the first of its kind in Pakistan and will specifically focus on bridging the gaps by offering a specialized MBA Retailing and Services Management for business students, diffe
rent short courses (certificate & diplomas) to people already working in the retail and services industries of Pakistan, and by offering training and consultancy to different retail and services organizations to transit from traditional to modern retail and services practices. The center also takes lead in organizing the seminars and conferences addressing different emerging issues and trends in the modern retail practices in Pakistan and around the globe. CRASM also focuses on strengthening industry-academia relationship as academic activities at business schools and business activities in corporate world need to compliment each other. Since most of the retailing activities are being done in an unorganized fashion in Pakistan, this liaison will help in tailoring more customized solutions to retail and services industries’ problems and will also help in developing market based programs and events to better match the industries’ needs. CRASM is also working for local and international collaborations and requesting leading retailers of goods and services to play their role as major stakeholders in the initiative.
