United International University (UIU), with the support of the IEEE UIU Student Branch, organized the Extended Bear Summit 2026 on 24 July 2026 at the UIU campus as a precursor to the National Semiconductor Symposium and Bear Summit 2026.
The event provided UIU students with a unique opportunity to interact with globally renowned researchers, academicians, industry leaders, and innovators in biotechnology, electronics, artificial intelligence, robotics, and semiconductor technologies.
Delivering the inaugural address, Prof Muhammad Mustafa Hussain of Purdue University and chief architect of Silicon River & Bear, emphasized the importance of international collaboration, research-driven innovation, academia-industry partnerships, and talent development in building Bangladesh's semiconductor ecosystem.
The event featured plenary sessions by Ahmed Bahai, chief technology officer of Texas Instruments, and Prof Dimitri Peroulis, senior vice president of Purdue University Online, who shared valuable insights into semiconductor technologies, artificial intelligence, and the future of higher education.
Keynote addresses by Bich-Yen Thi Tran, chairwoman of the Vietnam Semiconductor Professional Association (VSPA), and Jayavel Pachamuthu, distinguished engineer at SanDisk, focused on technological leadership, semiconductor innovation, and next-generation memory technologies.
The program also included lightning talks by distinguished experts from Applied Materials, Credo, Arizona State University, NXP Semiconductors, and YES, covering semiconductor manufacturing, advanced electronics, research commercialization, entrepreneurship, and emerging technologies.
An interactive question-and-answer session encouraged discussions on academia-industry collaboration, international research partnerships, talent development, and Bangladesh's growing role in the global semiconductor value chain.
Prof Md Abul Kashem Mia, vice chancellor of UIU, Professor Emeritus M Rezwan Khan, executive director of IAR & former VC of UIU, faculty members, officials, students, researchers and distinguished guests were present in the program.
The summit concluded with a networking session and a research poster exhibition by fellows of the Center of Research Excellence in Semiconductor Technology (Crest).