Naveed Akhter

Business Administration

Who are you and where are you from?

I was born and grew up in Islamabad, one of the most beautiful cities in Asia. This fabulous city, which is extremely scenic with the Himalayas covered with thick pine trees on one side, and a mysteriously attractive Rawal Lake on the other, is my home. The love for nature and serenity brought me to my second home, Scandinavia, to further study business in 2008.

How did you decide to become a doctoral student? And why did you decide to do it at JIBS?

After having completed my bachelor in computer sciences, I soon realized my inherent interest lies in people and not just in numbers, which led me to pursue an MBA degree in International Business at NUST Business School, Pakistan, and later an MS degree in Management and Leadership from Gothenburg School of Business, Economics and Law in Sweden. But, becoming a doctoral student was not accidental or merely another job. It was something that I had always brooded over, intentionally or unintentionally. Being a researcher comes back to the fact that I have always been in love with words and am inquisitive about people, a fact that has led me to pursue my PhD predominantly to know about entrepreneurs. I chose JIBS, due to the extensive research being carried out at the school in this area.

What are your main research interests?

My interest lies in understanding entrepreneurs, and this is why I am undertaking research about habitual entrepreneurs in the context of family firms. Primarily my research looks at how and why Portfolio’s emerge in family firms.

What is the best thing with working at JIBS?

One of the unique things about JIBS is its environment, that is, the freedom of research and flexibility. Last but not least is its international focus allows us to interact with people from all over the world which is fascinating and exciting. This experience also gives us a chance of working alongside and understanding people from different cultures.