Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) conferred degrees on 2,067 undergraduate and postgraduate students at its 27th convocation on Monday, at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center in Purbachal.
President and IUB Chancellor Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir presided over the ceremony, stressing the need for an integrated national education system to address disparities in access, quality and skills across different streams. He also called for international standards in education while preserving the country's history, language, literature, culture and heritage.
He urged universities to align higher education with labour market demands through employment-oriented, skills-based curricula focusing on practical and technical education, real-world experience and technology. He said graduates should become skilled professionals, entrepreneurs and job creators rather than merely jobseekers.
Special guest Bangladesh University Grants Commission Chairman Prof Dr Mamun Ahmed described young people as the country's greatest strength. Referring to ambitions of building a trillion-dollar economy and creating 10 million high-value jobs, he said their talent, integrity and hard work would be crucial to achieving these goals.
Convocation Speaker Professor Ainun Nishat said rapid technological and knowledge-based changes made continuous learning essential, reminding graduates that their education journey did not end with their degrees.
IUB Board of Trustees Chairman Didar A Husain highlighted China's and Vietnam's investment in education, saying Bangladesh had yet to reach the desired level. He expressed hope that the country would allocate 5% of GDP to education.
Vice-Chancellor Prof M Tamim said education must be guided by humanity and compassion, urging graduates to respect differing opinions, stand against injustice and contribute positively to society.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Daniel W Lund presented the graduates to the chancellor, while Registrar Asif Parvez conducted the ceremony.
Marjan Ferdous Tasbih of the Department of Finance was named valedictorian and received the Chancellor's Gold Medal. The medal was also awarded to Nahian Islam Asif of the Department of Finance and Shadman Saqeeb Hasan of the Department of Marketing.
Ikram Hossain Akif of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering received the All-Rounder Award.
Undergraduate academic excellence awards went to Aysha Shamim, Samim Rahman Bhuiyan, Tasnuba Tasnim Anita, Hemal Sharma and Yazdi Zaman. Postgraduate recipients were Tahsina Mahtab Ananna, Zaima Zohra, Rabiah Binthe Hossain and Fahmida Chowdhury.
Jannatul Ferdous Mohona received the Community Service Award. Abul Kasem (Ashikur Rahman) and Farhana Azizah Arif were recognised for cultural contributions.
Sports awards went to Noor Zarin Tasnim (badminton), Ridoy Dev (cricket), Amit Bikram Roy (chess) and Tiva Tasha (basketball).
The programme concluded with performances by metal band Warfaze, the IUB Music Club, IUB Dance Club and Abbrittilok.