Chittagong Chamber, CIU sign MoU to introduce industry-focused training courses
The partnership would align higher education and research with business needs and create new economic opportunities.
The Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and Chittagong Independent University (CIU) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen industry-academia collaboration through training, research and skills development.
The agreement was signed yesterday (17 October) at the chamber's conference hall at the World Trade Centre in Chattogram. Chamber President Amirul Haque signed on behalf of CCCI, while CIU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr MM Nurul Abshar represented the university, according to a press release.
Speaking at the event, Amirul Haque said industry-academia collaboration could help develop skilled human resources, promote innovation and research, and support sustainable economic growth.
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The partnership would align higher education and research with business needs and create new economic opportunities, Amirul said.
Chattogram's strategic location gives it the potential to become a regional logistics and investment hub, according to the chamber president. He stressed that investment and skilled manpower would be essential to achieving the government's employment generation targets.
Amirul also stressed the need to produce graduates with practical business knowledge tailored to industry requirements.
CIU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr MM Nurul Abshar said the non-profit educational institution was working to expand access to quality education and develop skilled human resources.
The university has undertaken several initiatives, including financial assistance for students, women's entrepreneurship development, Chinese and Japanese language courses, and Bangla language classes for foreign nationals living in Bangladesh, Abshar said.
The partnership would help CIU improve educational quality by enabling it to develop curricula based on business needs, he added.
Former chamber president Engineer Ali Ahmed called for effective implementation of the agreement. Cooperation between business organisations and educational institutions could drive economic growth and workforce development, he said.
Another former president, Amir Humayun Mahmud Chowdhury, proposed forming a committee comprising chamber officials and CIU faculty members to identify priority sectors and strengthen education and research under the agreement.
Other speakers included chamber director Engineer Md Golam Sarwar, Sun Shine Grammar School and College Chairman Safia Ghazi Rahman, and CIU School of Business professors Dr Syed Manzur Kader and Dr Imon Kalyan Chowdhury.
Chamber Vice-President Mohammad Mosiul Alam Swapan, other chamber directors and officials, representatives of the Export Promotion Bureau in Chattogram, and CIU faculty members also attended the event.
