CHITTAGONG INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITY

• Research - To conduct research in the areas of local and national governance in Bangladesh; development issues at local, national, regional, and international level and the contemporary international affairs.
• Policy Prescriptions - To prescribe policy to the local and national governments, to corporate houses, and to the regional and international organizations in the above noted areas.
• Training - To impart training to various national, regional and local government leaders, officials, NGO workers, officials of academic organization's and corporate officials.

• To identify problems and issues in the areas of governance (public/ private/ corporate), environmental, economic, international relations, legal and policy matters;
• To conduct qualitative and quantitative research on the above mentioned areas;
• To organize seminars, workshops, interactive dialogue, colloquium about local, national, regional and international issues;
• To publish occasional papers, research based books and journals;
• To provide research fellowship to graduate students to conduct research.
• To design and offer training and short term certificate programs.

IGDIS has established collaboration with Seoul National University Asia Center (SNUAC), South Korea

The collaboration aims at:

• Encouraging exchanges and visits for faculty members, researchers, and post-graduate fellows.
• Organizing joint conference and research activities.
• Enhancing network for future potential research collaborations.

---

July, 23, 2025

Social Equity and Sustainable Development

Talk on Social Equity and Sustainable Development Held at CIU.

CIU hosted a talk today on “Social Equity and Sustainable Development” by Prof. Dr. Shahjahan Bhuiyan, Professor and Associate Dean, Department of Public Policy & Administration, The American University in Cairo. The session was chaired by Prof. Dr. M M Nurul Absar, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, CIU and moderated by Prof. Dr. Moslehuddin Chowdhury Khaled, Professor, CIU Business School. Ms. Charmain Rodrigues, Assistant Dean, School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, introduced the guest speaker by reading a brief biography of Prof. Dr. Shahjahan Bhuiyan.

In his thought-provoking presentation, Dr. Bhuiyan emphasized that social equity is a cornerstone of good governance, requiring fair treatment and inclusive decision-making. Dr. Bhuiyan stressed that equity lies at the heart of sustainable development. It ensures that progress benefits all segments of society, regardless of gender, ethnicity, income, or social status by promoting fairness, justice, and equal access to opportunities. He highlighted that sustainable development is not merely about economic growth or environmental preservation, but also about building inclusive systems that empower individuals. Integrating equity into policies, institutions, and governance structures strengthens public trust and fosters more resilient, just, and peaceful societies.

The event was attended by CIU faculty members and concluded with the closing remarks of Prof. Dr. M. M. Nurul Absar, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor. The participants also observed one minute of silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the tragic air crash at Milestone College, Dhaka.

---

Thursday, May 8, 2025

• The Art of Change Management

  
  

  IGDIS, CIU successfully hosted a webinar on "The Art of Change Management" on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Dr. Julia Wijnmaalen, Assistant Professor, University of Twente Netherlands presented key note speech on strategies and real-world insights on Change Management while Dr. M. Nazmul Islam, Associate Professor, BRAC Business School, BRAC University, offered valuable local perspectives as the discussant. Dr. M M Nurul Absar, Vice Chancellor, CIU provided opening remarks, and Dr. Moslehuddin Chowdhury, Professor CIU Business School moderated this engaging session. The webinar provided valuable takeaways on navigating change for faculty, students, professionals, and the wider community interested in the topic. The session was relayed live on CIU official Facebook page.

  
  

---

July 16, 2024

• Webinar on AI and Higher Education Successfully Held at CIU

  
  

  The Institute of Governance, Development and International Studies (IGDIS) at Chittagong Independent University (CIU) hosted a highly informative webinar titled “AI and Higher Education: Possibilities and Challenges” on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The event attracted significant attention from academia and industry alike, focusing on the transformative potential and challenges posed by artificial intelligence in the realm of higher education.

  The session commenced with opening remarks from Prof. Dr. M M Nurul Absar, Hon’ble Vice- Chancellor of CIU, who emphasized the far-reaching implications of AI in the educational sector. Dr. Ridoan Karim, a distinguished lecturer from Monash University Malaysia, served as the keynote speaker. He stressed the importance of developing AI skills to remain relevant in the modern world, arguing that AI is a complement to human capabilities rather than a replacement.

  Dr. Rubell Sen Goopta, Dean of the School of Science and Engineering at CIU, contributed valuable perspectives on AI’s impact within the engineering sector. The session was expertly moderated by Dr. Abu Sufian, Assistant Professor in the Department of English at CIU, who also provided thoughtful commentary on the discussions. The webinar concluded with an engaging Q&A session, allowing participants to explore the topics in greater depth.

  Overall, the event was a resounding success, promoting a dynamic exchange of ideas and insights on the future of AI in higher education.

  
  

---

March 14, 2024

• Roundtable discussion on contemporary teaching, learning, research, public policy, and governance

  
  

  Institute of Governance, Development, and International Studies (IGDIS), and Center of Excellence for Teaching & Learning (CETL), Chittagong Independent University jointly organized a roundtable program on contemporary teaching, learning, research, public policy, and governance at the CIU Conference Room on March 14, 2024 . Dr. Haroon Khan, Professor Emeritus at Henderson State University, was the Chief Guest of the program. Dr. Mahfuzul Hoque Chowdhury, Honorable Vice Chancellor of CIU presided over it. Dr. Mir Mohammed Nurul Absar, Professor, CIUBS, conducted the whole program. Deans, Head and Faculty members of different schools were present at the program. During the roundtable discussion, Professor Khan shared insights into the contemporary teaching, learning and research practices followed by leading North American universities. He emphasized that Bangladeshi universities need to make significant changes to their academic culture and practices to be globally recognized. Professor Khan stressed the need for changes in the overall governance system of higher education institutions to be globally compatible. Additionally, he discussed the role of effective public policies in a country's overall socio-economic development. Dr. Aseef Iqbal, Professor, SSE. and Director, CETL coordinated the whole program.

  
  

---

December, 04, 2023

• 50 years of Bangladesh-Korea Diplomatic Relations: Past, Present, and the Future

  
  

---

May 31, 2023

• Presentation on Maternal Health Voucher Scheme of Bangladesh: Lessons for Future Policy Directions in Maternal Health

  Institute of Governance, Development, and International Studies (IGDIS), Chittagong Independent University (CIU) organized a program titled 'Maternal Health Voucher Scheme of Bangladesh: Lessons for Future Policy Directions in Maternal Health’ on 31 May 2023 at CIUBS Building.

  
  
  Dr. M. Mahmud Khan
  Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Georgia, Athens.

---

February, 2, 2023

• Next Generation Business Executives - A Global Perspective

  
  

  Knowledge sharing seminar on “Next Generation Business Executives - A Global Perspective” jointly organized by Institute of Governance, Development, &
  Int'l Studies (IGDIS), Chittagong Independent University, and Bangladesh Center of Excellence (BCE) of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce & Industries.

  
  
  Dr. Abhilash S Nair
  Professor, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (IIMK), India.

---

November, 28, 2021

• Public Financial Management Framework in Bangladesh

  
  
  Mr. Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury
  Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh

---

September, 25, 2021

Covid management measures taken around the world that Bangladesh can additionally follow to better resolve its current and future pandemic situations

---

June, 24, 2021

Win: How public Entrepreneurship Can Change the Developing World



Dr. Fouzul Kabir Khan
Former Secretary, Government of Bangladesh and Founder CEO, IDCOL

---

February, 27, 2020

• Comprehensive City Development: Strategies and Challenges

  
  
  
  Professor Nirmala Rao, OBE, FAcSS
  Vice Chancellor, AUW
  S M Ashraful Islam
  Executive chairman, eGeneration Group and former Additional Secretary, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

---

December, 09,2019

• Rethinking Development, Globalization and Governance

  
  
  Ahmed Shafiqul Hoque
  Professor, Department of Political Science, McMaster University, Canada.

---

November, 07, 2019

Higher Education, Economic Development and Garment Industry in Bangladesh and Korea.



Seoul National University Asia Center (SNUAC)


10:00-10:30: Opening

SooJin Park(Director of SNUAC)
Mahfuzul Hoque Chowdhury (Vice Chancellor of Chittagong Independent University)
Kihak Sung (Chairman and CEO of Youngone Corporation)


10:30-12:00: Higher Education in Bangladesh and Korea

Mahfuzul Hoque Chowdhury, Quazi Mostain Billah and M M Nurul Absar (Chittagong Independent University)
Role of Private Universities in Higher Educationin Bangladesh and Possible Areas of Cooperation between Chittagong Independent University and Seoul National University.
Jooyong Park (Seoul National University)
How to Balance Learning and Thinking in College Classrooms


13:30-15:00: Economic Development in Bangladesh and Korea

Mahfuzul Hoque Chowdhury and M M Nurul Absar (Chittagong Independent University)
SDGs Implementation Challenges for Bangladesh: Lessons from Republic of Korea
Se-Jik Kim (Seoul National University)
Korean Economic Growth: Past Glory and Challenges Ahead


15:30-17:00: Garment Industry in Bangladesh and Korea

Mohammad Nayeem Abdullah and Syed Manzur Quader (Chittagong Independent University)
Ready Made Garments(RMG) Sector in Bangladesh: How South Korea Can Assist Bangladesh to Prepare for the 21st Century Challenges?
Joonkoo Lee(Hanyang University)and Hyunji Kwon (Seoul National University)
Bangladesh, Korea and the Future of Asian Apparel Production Networks in a Volatile World

17:00-17:20: Closing

---

October, 27, 2019

• Contemporary issues in the foreign relations of Bangladesh Ambassador M. Serajul Islam

  
  
  Ambassador M. Serajul Islam

---

January, 17, 2019

• Social Entrepreneurship in Universities: Unleashing its potentials

  
  
  Syed Mahmudul Huq
  Member, BOT, CIU

---

May,15,2018

• Facing Critical Governance Challenges in Bangladesh: An overview

  
  
  
  Mohammad Mohabbat Khan, PhD
  Retired Professor, Department of Public Administration, University of Dhaka
  Former Member, University Grants Commission of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Public Service Commission

---

January, 17,2018

• Development Partnership in Middle Income Countries (MICs)-The Transition Issues: A Case Study of Bangladesh

  
  
  
  Syed Sajjadur Rahman
  Senior Fellow, School of International Development and Global Studies University of Ottawa

---

January, 16, 2018

• Climate Change and Migration: Bangladesh and South Asia Perspective

  
  
  
  Dr. Alice Baillat
  Associate Research Fellow, The French Institute of International and Strategic Affairs(IRIS).

---

• Expansion and Profitability of Bank Branches: A Study on Selected Rural Branches of Bangladesh

  Syed Manzur Quader, Mohammad Nayeem Abdullah, Nahin Israt Shamsi
  Published at Macroeconomics and Finance in Emerging Market Economies (Volume 13, 2020 - Issue 3) by Routhledge, Taylor & Francis Group

• India’s NRC, CAA may take Bangladesh closer to China

  Emon Kalyan Chowdhury
  Published at Diverse Asia by SNUAC

• Sovereignty of Bangladesh and China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ Project

  Mohammad Belayet Hossain
  Published at Diverse Asia by SNUAC

• Belt and Road Initiative and China’s “Love” for Bangladesh: What Bangladesh Could Actually Expect from it.

  Iffat Ishrat Khan
  Published at Diverse Asia by SNUAC

Rooma Dass, Assistant Registrar, CIU
roomadass@ciu.edu.bd