We put stress on university-industry links
International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT) puts emphasis on career planning from the very first semester to prepare students for successfully pursue their future careers. The university is investing more in research and innovation to further improve global rankings, besides maintaining its close networks with potential employers and global universities, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Abdur Rab tells The Business Standard.
What is the vision of your university?
International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT), the first private university in Bangladesh, was established in 1991 with a vision "to produce at least one professional graduate from each village/ward of Bangladesh under Knowledge Based Area Development (KBAD) for socio-agro-economic development of the country."
Located in Sector 10 of the Uttara Model Town area in Dhaka, the university continues to be one of the leading private universities in the country focusing on inclusion, social equity, justice and gender equality while maintaining high standards of education and research.
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With the slogan, "An environment designed for learning," the IUBAT community educates its students about the importance of nature and how to nurture it. They offer a mandatory grooming course that emphasizes how to lead a modern life without harming the environment.
Do you think you have reached your goal following your vision?
The long-term vision is to produce at least one professional graduates from each village/ward under the theme of 'Education for every qualified person, with finance for the meritorious but needy'. IUBAT has been steadily working to achieve its vision. Efforts have been geared up to bring at least 25% of the villages/wards from 540 out of 550 upazilas under coverage of the program.
What are the achievements of the university till now?
IUBAT has achieved a lot in the course of 31 years. A total of 13,000 graduates have received their degrees and they are well placed in jobs, self-employment or entrepreneurial ventures.
Its engineering programs are recognized by the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh. IUBAT ranks second in Bangladesh in the 2021 UI Green Metric World University Rankings and ranks 294th out of 957 universities in 69 countries around the world. IUBAT has been ranked among the top 50 universities in the world in terms of ethical standards in the 2021 WURI (World Universities with Real Impact) rankings. It has also earned 2nd position in Bangladesh and 735th out of 8084 institutions in SCIMAGO ranking. It is ranked 4th in Bangladesh by THE(Times Higher Education) in the impact category.
Global equivalency of IUBAT degrees is well authenticated in the success of graduates pursuing higher education, including PhDs in different universities around the world. IUBAT has memoranda of understanding with 112 higher education and professional institutions in Europe, North America, Australia, Asia and Africa for student and faculty exchange, joint research, credit transfer, and internships.
What is the specialty of your university?
IUBAT prepares its graduates for a healthy life and successful career. Here the students receive theoretical as well as practical education. They gain knowledge on various subjects through theoretical classes and acquire skills through lab courses, case studies, simulations, projects, research, presentation internship and more. Emphasis is given on life-long learning.
Are you producing market-oriented graduates?
While preparing students for success in employment, the university emphasizes knowledge, skill, attitude, and education quality appropriate for the job market. From the very first semester, IUBAT puts stress on education and career planning. The full-semester internship program helps students gain practical and job experience. The placement office helps students secure jobs and internships, while the alumni association helps them create strong connections required for their career progress. IUBAT closely networks with potential employers and has signed a number of MOUs with corporate houses.
Why the students will choose your university for admission?
The students choose IUBAT for its quality education, close and sincere relationship between students and teachers, discipline and security in its picturesque campus, and extracurricular activities. They like the facilities of the university for games and sports, the cafeteria, free bus service, and health insurance.
What is the plan of the university?
The university is already pursuing a plan for further improving the quality of education through Outcome-based education(OBE), recruiting the best teachers, admitting better-quality students, and creating more teaching-learning facilities. It is continuously monitoring the progress in improving the quality of education and taking corrective actions. Teams of teachers are working for obtaining accreditation and a special team is working for ranking. The teachers are motivated to engage in more research and publications by allocating huge research funds and providing rewards for research and publications. Emphasis is also being given to university-industry collaboration for graduate employment at better positions and salaries.
Do you think that education migration can be reduced by the existing education system at private universities?
Education migration to foreign universities is an indication of the good quality of education provided by some private universities including IUBAT as many of its students are pursuing higher studies in European, Canadian and US universities. Most of the time, their motivation is to settle abroad after higher education. The tendency is increasing as they cannot find suitable jobs with a good salary at home. Many students go abroad for studies as they do not get a chance of admission to public universities or good private universities. This migration can be reduced by improving the quality of education in universities to a global standard
