NDU Concludes Professional Certificate Program on Strategic Marketing with Focus on Branding Pakistan for Global Success

Islamabad, June 2026: The Department of Leadership & Management Studies (LMS), Faculty of Contemporary Studies, National Defence University (NDU), successfully concluded its two-day Professional Certificate Program in Strategic Marketing, bringing together professionals, academics, entrepreneurs, and students for an immersive learning experience focused on contemporary marketing challenges and opportunities.The certificate program was designed to enhance participants’ understanding of strategic marketing, brand management, consumer behavior, corporate communication, and emerging industry trends. Through expert-led sessions, practical case studies, and interactive discussions, participants gained valuable insights into the evolving role of marketing in organizational success and national development.The program commenced with Module 1: The Strategic Role of Marketing in Corporate Success by Dr. Adnan Jamil, followed by Module 2: Marketing Intelligence & Corporate Strategy by Dr. Zubair Nawaz, and Module 3: Strategic Marketing Process & Re-engineering by Dr. Umer Iftikhar. On the second day, participants explored Module 4: Strategic Political Marketing & Brand Leadership presented by Dr. Maria N. Shahid, Module 5: Future of Strategic Marketing for CEOs by Dr. Muhammad Kashif, Module 6: Strategic Corporate Communication: Building Collaboration, Trust and Leadership Alignment by Dr. Sana Irfan, and Module 7: Ethical Marketing & Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by Dr. Shazia Hassan. The program was coordinated by Dr. Maria N. Shahid, Assistant Professor, LMS, who also served as the focal person.A key highlight of the program was the keynote address by distinguished industrialist and business leader Mr. Imtiaz Rastgar, who delivered an insightful session titled “Marketing Pakistan: From Image Deficit to Export Success.” Drawing upon his extensive experience in international business development and export promotion, Mr. Rastgar emphasized that countries, like corporations, must strategically market themselves to attract investment, tourism, talent, and global business opportunities.He highlighted the challenges posed by negative perceptions of Pakistan and stressed the need for a unified national branding strategy. Sharing lessons from his leadership at the Engineering Development Board, he explained how strategic positioning, international trade exhibitions, professional branding, and export-oriented thinking contributed to substantial growth in Pakistan’s engineering exports. He underscored that transforming mindsets and projecting a positive national image are essential for enhancing Pakistan’s global competitiveness.Mr. Rastgar also emphasized that every Pakistani—whether a student, entrepreneur, teacher, exporter, public servant, or policymaker—is a brand ambassador for the country and plays a vital role in shaping Pakistan’s international reputation.The Closing Ceremony was graced by Brigadier Sheraz Afzal (Retd), Director, Inter-Disciplinary Professional and Leadership Development Center (IPLDC), who commended the Department for organizing a highly relevant and impactful program. In his remarks, he emphasized the growing importance of strategic marketing competencies in today’s rapidly changing business environment and encouraged participants to apply their learning in addressing real-world organizational and national challenges.The successful completion of the Professional Certificate Program reflects NDU’s continued commitment to academic excellence, leadership development, professional capacity building, and meaningful industry-academia collaboration.