Round-table Discussion on “Strengthening Start-up, Innovation, and Academia-Industry Collaboration with Industrial Personnel and Potential Stakeholders”
- RESOURCE PERSON: Professor Dr. Abdullah-Al-Mamun, Member of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh
- DATE: SEPTEMBER 27, 2026
- PARTICIPANT TYPE: FORTY (40) INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS PARTICIPATED IN THE FIRST SESSION, WHILE APPROXIMATELY 800 UNDERGRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE ENGINEERING STUDENTS FROM DUET TOOK PART IN THE SECOND SESSION.
- AMOUNT OF PARTICIPANT: 840
Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology (DUET), Gazipur, organized the “Industry–Academia Collaborative Event 2026” on Sunday, September 27, 2026, bringing together representatives from industry, academia, and other relevant stakeholders. The event was organized by the Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) of DUET.
The first part of the event featured a roundtable discussion titled “Strengthening Start-up, Innovation and Industry–Academia Collaboration,” held at the Vice-Chancellor’s Conference Room. The discussion focused on the challenges of establishing effective and sustainable collaboration between universities and industries and explored possible strategies to overcome them.
The event was chaired by DUET Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Engr. Mohammad Iqbal, while Professor Dr. Abdullah-Al-Mamun, Member of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh, attended as the Chief Guest. In his speech, he highlighted various government and UGC initiatives aimed at promoting research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and start-up culture in higher education institutions. He emphasized the importance of building a strong bridge between universities and industries to make university research more practical, market-oriented, and impactful.
The Vice-Chancellor, in his address, outlined DUET’s ongoing initiatives and future plans for strengthening research, innovation, entrepreneurship, joint research, internships, and technology transfer. He stressed that effective industry–academia collaboration can contribute to industrial growth, reduce dependence on imports, and help conserve foreign currency. He also emphasized developing an entrepreneurial mindset among students and commercializing innovative projects. In this regard, he mentioned the establishment of an ICT Incubator at DUET to support the transformation of innovative ideas into marketable products.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Engr. Ruma also spoke as a special guest and emphasized the university’s role in strengthening industry–academia partnerships. She called for long-term collaboration between DUET and industry representatives.
The program also included a presentation titled “Research and Development and Innovation Facilities at DUET”, delivered by Professor Dr. Hasan Mohammad Mostafa Afroz, Head of the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering. The presentation highlighted DUET’s research infrastructure and innovation-support facilities.
The event was moderated by Professor Dr. Md. Obaidur Rahman, Director of IQAC, while Professor Dr. Shafiqul Islam, Additional Director of IQAC, served as the rapporteur.
Representatives from a wide range of organizations and industries, including lists BDREN, BRAC Bank PLC, Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory Ltd., Meghna Group of Industries, Walton Hi-Tech Industries, PRAN-RFL Group, Nestlé Bangladesh, Akij Ceramics, Urmi Group, Max Group, Zencore Solutions, Development Design Consultants Ltd., Masco Group, Decathlon, Rangs/RANKON Auto Industries Ltd., Innovation IT Ltd., G-Widgets Company Ltd., and Ecotex Ltd participated in the event.
The second part of the event was held at the Shaheed Shakil Parvez Auditorium and featured an open discussion titled “The Future of Youth in Bangladesh in the Perspective of Entrepreneurship and Soft Skill Development.” The Chief Guest encouraged graduating students to take advantage of government initiatives and contribute to national development through entrepreneurship and skill development. Zishan Ahmad, CEO of Zencore Solutions and a former DUET student, shared practical experiences from his professional career with the students.
As part of the event, appointment letters were handed over to five students of DUET’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) on behalf of Zencore Solutions.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks from the Chair, reaffirming DUET’s commitment to building a stronger industry–academia ecosystem, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, and preparing graduates with the skills required for the future workforce.