The 18th Asian University Presidents Forum (AUPF) concluded with a colourful closing ceremony on Monday.
AUPF and Daffodil International University (DIU), in collaboration with the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh (APUB), organized the three-day conference with the theme "Future of entrepreneurship education and experiential learning: “Determent of developing the successful entrepreneurial ecosystem in Asian economies”.
Since the inception of AUPF in 2002, this is the first time the conference was hosted by Bangladesh. Around 150 participants including vice-chancellors from different universities of Bangladesh and abroad, rectors and presidents from 40 universities from 15 countries of Asia were present in the conference.
Originating from a friendly collaboration between institutions of higher education in China and Thailand, the goal of AUPF was to bring higher education institutions across Asia under one platform.
At the conference, a total of 64 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were signed between different participating universities on student and faculty exchange, technology transfer, PhD scholarship and mutual cooperation.
The MoUs were signed during the function at the permanent campus of Daffodil International University in Ashulia, organized to mark the concluding ceremony of the three-day-long international conference.
University Grants Commission chairman Professor Dr Kazi Shahidullah was present as the chief guest of the concluding ceremony.
He said: “The theme of AUPF-2019 is very time befitting as it is not possible to create young entrepreneurs without entrepreneurial education system.”
“At this moment, Bangladesh needs a lot of young entrepreneurs as they can create a lot of employment for the country. The economy can be developed through entrepreneurs improving the living standard of the people in the country,” he said.
At the event, Dr Md Sabur Khan, Chairman of Board of Trustees, Daffodil International University, handed over the AUPF flag to Dr G Viswanathan, founder and chancellor of Vellore Institute of Technology in India (VIT), the next hosting university of AUPF 2020.
Dr G Viswanathan, founder and chancellor of Vellore Institute of Technology in India (VIT), Dr Jekuk Chang, president, Dongseo University, South Korea, Professor Dr Yousuf Mahbubul Islam, vice-chancellor of DIU, Professor Dr S M Mahabub- Ul- Haque Majumder, convener, AUPF 2019 and pro vice-chancellor, DIU also spoke at the occasion.
The next forum of the event will be held at the Vellore Institute of Technology in India.
