The American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) appeared at the Global Sustainable Development Congress (GSDC) 2026, organized by Times Higher Education (THE) at the Indonesia Convention Center in Jakarta on June 22-25.
AIUB earned the distinction of being the only exhibiting university from Bangladesh at the prestigious congress, which brought together hundreds of universities, policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and sustainability advocates from across the world to explore how higher education institutions can contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through its exhibition booth, the university highlighted its achievements in academic excellence, internationalization, sustainability initiatives, and research — effectively positioning Bangladesh as a contributor to global higher education discourse.
Leading the delegation were Ishtiaque Abedin, founder member of the board of trustees; Shania Abedin, member of the board of trustees, AIUB; Prof Dip Nandi, dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology; and Carlin Noelle Lamagna, deputy director of the Office of Planning and Development.
During the congress, AIUB signed new Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with fourteen institutions across Indonesia and the Philippines, including Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and Quezon City University, among others.
These agreements are set to facilitate future collaborations in student and faculty mobility, joint research projects, academic exchanges, curriculum development, and international cooperation activities.
Notably, discussions with the City University of Macau advanced toward a student exchange program potentially launching as early as January 2027, while introductory conversations were also held with Asia's leading institutions, Nanyang Technological University and Hanyang University, opening channels for future collaboration.
Prof Dip Nandi and Lamagna took part in a masterclass titled "From Rankings to Ratings? The Evolution of the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings Methodology".
Prof Dip Nandi also attended a panel discussion on "Lifelong Learning as a Catalyst for Educational Excellence and Social Impact," which explored how universities can build flexible learning ecosystems responsive to workforce transformation and technological change.
