UGC chairman stresses innovation at CUET engineering conference
University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Professor Dr S M A Faiz has said Bangladesh now has an extraordinary opportunity to work together and create innovations that serve the nation and society.
He said solutions emerging from this conference will strengthen Bangladesh's global standing and reinforce the country's place on the map of international technological innovation. He expressed confidence that the knowledge shared at the event would not remain confined to technical solutions but would influence policymaking, technology and future generations.
He made the remarks online this morning, Wednesday, 10 December, 2025, while addressing the opening ceremony of the three-day "8th International Conference on Mechanical Engineering and Renewable Energy," organised by the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) at the university's central auditorium.
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CUET Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mahmud Abdul Matin Bhuiya attended as the guest of honour. Special guests included Professor Dr Kazi Afzalur Rahman, Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, and Professor Dr Badius Salam, Director of the Bureau of Research, Testing and Consultancy and a faculty member of the Mechanical Engineering Department. Conference Chair and CHUET Registrar (Additional Charge) Professor Dr Sheikh Mohammad Humayun Kabir presided over the session, while Conference Secretary and Professor of Mechanical Engineering Dr Md Sanaul Rabbey delivered the welcome address.
Speakers from abroad included Professor Dr Akio Miyara of Saga University, Japan, and Associate Professor Dr Tore Vehus of the University of Agder, Norway. The programme began with a recitation from the Holy Quran by Hafiz Mawlana Qari Nurullah, Senior Pesh Imam of the CUET Central Jame Mosque. The event was conducted by Ahad Bin Azad and Navia Hasan Noveli, students of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
In his speech as guest of honour, CUET Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mahmud Abdul Matin Bhuiya said universities must lead Bangladesh's transition to a sustainable, technology-driven industrial economy. He stressed the need for research, innovation and the development of skilled human resources, adding that such conferences will play a vital role in advancing the country's engineering excellence.
This three-day international conference brings together seven globally renowned speakers who will share their insights and research on renewable energy, advanced manufacturing technologies, robotics, intelligent systems and modern mechanical engineering. The event features six keynote sessions and one invited session.
A total of 241 research papers will be presented, along with poster presentations, an ideation challenge, a design contest and a Roborace competition. To strengthen industry–academia collaboration, twenty leading industrial organisations are supporting the conference as sponsors.
