Networking, knowledge, and international opportunities: BracU hosts entrepreneurial event

On 18th January, the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED) organized an insightful event on “Entrepreneurship Development and Exploring Higher Studies Opportunities in the Netherlands”. This was done in collaboration with the Netherlands Alumni Association of Bangladesh (NAAB) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh. The occasion was graced by the presence of His Excellency Joris van Bommel (Ambassador, Kingdom of the Netherlands) who was the chief guest of honour as well as Dr. Billal Hossain (Senior Member, NAAB) who joined as guest of honour. The event was chaired by Professor Dr. Syed Ferhat Anwar (Vice-Chancellor, BracU) and moderated by Zeba Farzana (Research Associate, CED-BracU).

The event started around 3 pm with a welcome address from Dr. Mohammad Mujibul Haque (Dean, BBS) that transitioned to a presentation on entrepreneurship development by Anwarul Alam (General Secretary, NAAB), sharing advice drawn from his own personal experience. In the next segment, BracU alumnus Shahriar Khan Sazid (Co-Founder, Becho Limited) delivered a candid speech of his own entrepreneurial journey with Becho, a mobile-first Business Management App for social sellers. “BracU has a unique ecosystem for entrepreneurship, so seek mentorship,” he remarked. Addressing the pressing questions regarding higher education opportunities in the Netherlands, A.K. Osman Haruni (Senior Policy Advisor, Embassy of the Netherlands, Bangladesh) and Dr. Mohsina Syeda Akhtar (Alumni, Wageningen University & Research) went in depth highlighting the strong study environment in the country and answered questions from the audience.

Dr. Dave Dowland (Registrar, BracU) shared his remarks during the event and later, in a one- on-one interview, reflected on the significance of the gathering by noting the richness of international connections at BracU, the ongoing collaborations with the Netherlands, and highlighted the impact of the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED) in fostering a network of entrepreneurs. After that the chief guest of honor delivered a speech, followed by Professor Dr. Syed Ferhat Anwar (Vice-Chancellor, BracU) offering a detailed explanation of BracU’s current projects, future plans and collaborative efforts with the Netherlands and beyond. The concluding remarks were given by Dr. Billal Hossain (Senior Member, NAAB) after which a networking session took place marking the end of this enlightening event.