One key reason behind China's rapid economic growth is its success in aligning the needs of industry with the skills produced by universities. China deliberately promoted close cooperation between academia and industry, creating mechanisms that move scientific research quickly into commercial use. As a result, basic research is more easily transformed into products, technologies, and industrial applications.
To bridge the common global gap between scientific research and market demand, China established science parks, incubators, research zones, and technology-transfer platforms that connect universities with firms. This institutional framework ensured that discoveries did not remain purely academic but were commercialised and adopted by industry.
Academia-industry collaboration thus became a central development strategy. By funding joint projects -- often through national science agencies working with private companies -- China encouraged research directly linked to industrial needs. This strengthened innovation, boosted productivity, and supported the rise of high-tech sectors, helping China move from low-cost manufacturing toward innovation-driven growth.
Inspired by China's development model, Independent University, Bangladesh organised an international conference titled ICEBTM on 14-15 November 2025, centered on the theme "Sustainability-Focused Industry Trends in Global Research." The conference featured multiple tracks spanning economics, entrepreneurship, green business, human resource management, and technology management.
Researchers from 12 countries, including the USA, UK, Poland, and Canada, presented their works. The programme included five keynote speakers, three invited speakers, and eight industry talks, addressing issues in economics, sustainable development, business, technology, management, supply chain, environment, and climate change.
Bangladesh's garment industry has long been the cornerstone of its industrialisation. Yet, to remain competitive, it must increasingly adopt automation, design innovation, and environmentally sustainable production methods. At the same time, the country's growing digital economy -- from e-commerce to IT services -- demands that young entrepreneurs be equipped with the skills and mindset to innovate.
While Bangladesh's growth model-based on low-cost labour and export-oriented production -- has delivered impressive gains, it cannot be sustained indefinitely. The next phase of development requires shifting toward innovation-driven growth: one that relies not only on physical infrastructure but also on fostering creativity, experimentation, and entrepreneurial ecosystem capable of producing new ideas and technologies.
In his keynote speech, Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman underscored Bangladesh's current challenges and the policies it must adopt going forward. He argued that Bangladesh remained trapped in a "cheap-labour economy" -- a model that powered the rise of the RMG sector and the export of manpower, but one that cannot sustain long-term progress. He put it like this, "the success of yesterday is not the guarantor of the success of tomorrow."
A major driver of Bangladesh's past growth has been its demographic dividend, an opportunity created by population dynamics. Yet, according to Dr. Rahman, the country has not been able to fully capitalise on this advantage. He stressed that Bangladesh failed to act with the speed demonstrated by China and Vietnam -- one key reason why poverty reduction had shown signs of reversal since 2016. Had timely policies been implemented, many young people could have been lifted out of poverty through improved employment opportunities. He cited the example shared by the chief patron of the conference and Chairman of the IUB Board of Trustees, Mr. Didar A. Husain, who noted that Vietnam now uses AI in its school system, signalling its determination to move even faster.
Dr. Rahman also argued that the political transformation of 2024 stemmed largely from youth frustration. To address this, he urged the nation to declare an "Employment Emergency" and adopt rapid, targeted policies to reduce youth unemployment. He praised the resilience of young people-their "refusal to give up" -- as a key asset that, if properly supported, can take Bangladesh to new heights. For this to happen, he emphasized the need for a national programme that operates with speed and clear direction.
He concluded by outlining four pillars essential for Bangladesh's next phase of development:
1. Quality education that fosters innovation and equips students with modern skills.
2. New growth drivers that are highly productive --for example, AI-enabled agriculture, IT services, and geoprocessing technologies.
3. Improved governance, particularly in terms of efficiency, transparency, and timely implementation.
4. A political coalition of academics, professionals, and entrepreneurs -- a strategy that has been central to the success of China, South Korea, and Vietnam.
At the suggestion of Dr. N N Tarun Chakravorty from the audience, Dr. Rahman added a fifth pillar: culture. He agreed with Dr. Chakravorty that education and culture form the superstructure of a nation -- often more important than physical infrastructure in shaping long-term development.
A major highlight of the conference was the series of academia-industry dialogue sessions, each bringing together ten academics and ten corporate leaders. The urgency of such collaboration is clear: according to the World Bank, over the next decade four people will enter the global workforce every second, 1.42 billion job seekers will emerge, but only 400 million jobs will be created. The central challenge is narrowing the skills mismatch.
Corporate leader Syed Nasim Manzur (Apex Group) noted that while universities must produce wisdom and intellectual capital, they must also equip students to earn a living. He proposed four priorities: Continuous curriculum upgrading, Critical thinking and problem-solving skills,
A culture of lifelong learning, and strong language skills. He argued that the UGC bears responsibility for failing to ensure industry-relevant curricula.
From the corporate side, Niaz Rahim (Rahimafrooz) shared that earlier attempts to sponsor courses and endowed chairs aligned with company needs failed due to limited cooperation from universities.
International speakers offered models for reform. Dr. Emeka Henry Egeson (Canada) explained that Canadian universities maintain Program Advisory Committees with active industry participation. Dr. Ferdoush Saleheen (UAE) highlighted that students must complete 500 hours of industry workshops before graduation -- ensuring programs are demand-driven. Syed Nasim Manzur further proposed introducing short, targeted programmes-such as two-year diplomas for warehouse or supply-chain managers-to meet immediate industry needs.
To the best of my knowledge, an international conference of this scale has never before taken place in Bangladesh. Over two days at The Westin, a five-star venue, 200 papers were presented -- many by international scholars. The technical committee itself reflected the global nature of the event, comprising 65 foreign academics and 52 Bangladeshi academics from outside IUB, including several Vice Chancellors and heads of major academic and research institutions.
The driving force behind this landmark conference, Prof. Md. Mamun Habib, Head of the Department of General Management at IUB, demonstrated exceptional leadership. Yet such an event could only succeed through the dedicated effort of many. The continuous encouragement of the Chief Patron, Mr. Didar Husain, Chairman of the IUB Board of Trustees; the Vice Chancellor, Prof. M. Tamim; and the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Prof. Daniel W. Lund, provided crucial motivation for the entire team.
It is important to recognise the individuals whose contributions made this event possible: Honorary General Chair: Prof. Raisul Awal Mahmood. General Chair: Prof. Md. Mamun Habib. Program Chairs: Prof. Shahriar Kabir and Dr. Rezwanul Alam.
Conference Secretariat: Dr. Md. Khaled Saifullah (Chair), Dr. Maqbool Kader Quraishi (Co-chair), Dr. Imtiaz Ahmed Nevin (Co-chair), Seeratus Sabah, Shamil M. Al-Islam, Md. Aminul Islam, Nabila Maruf, Shayla Tazminur, Tarannum Azim, Md. Tanvir Islam.
Executives of the Conference Secretariat:Jannatul Ferdoush Oishy, Tamim Forhad Shuvo, Md. Shiraton Nobi Rajon, Amina Binte Awal, Nafisa Yesmin, Afra Baig, RuzzatinShabila Korshi.
Chair of Industry Outreach Committee,Dr. Farzana Chowdhury and the chair ofOrganizing Committee, Dr. Samina Kabir whose team ensured flawless execution.
There are many others -- too numerous to list -- whose efforts were equally vital to the success of this conference.
At the heart of it all was a shared vision: the dream of building a better Bangladesh. It was this collective aspiration that motivated everyone, both named and unnamed, whose dedication shaped this extraordinary event.
Dr. N N Tarun Chakravorty is professor of economics, IUB, and Editor-At-Large, South Asia Journal. nntarun@gmail.com