Industry Advisory Panel Meeting

BUGS Meeting no 08/2025 (Date: June 03, 2025) Annexure 3(iii)

Department of EEE, BUET

Industry Advisory Panel Meeting 2025/01

Date: 02.06.2025

Venue: Hybrid (EEE 335B and zoom)

A meeting of Industry Advisory Panel (IAP) was held on 2nd June 2025 in a hybrid mode. The following IAP Members were present at the meeting:

S/N	Organization	Name and Affiliation	Position in IAP
1	Head of the Department, EEE, BUET	Dr. ABM Harun ur Rashid	Chairman
2	Next Head, Dept. of EEE	Dr. Sharif Mohammad Mominuzzaman	Member
3	Chair, SAC, Dept. of EEE	Dr. Shaikh Anowarul Fattah	Member
4	Member, SAC, Dept. of EEE	Dr. Hafiz Imtiaz	Member
5	Member, SAC, Dept. of EEE	Dr. Sajid Muhaimin Choudhury	Member
6	Secretary, BUGS, Dept. of EEE, BUET	Dr. Md. Kawsar Alam	Member Secretary
7	Power Grid Bangladesh PLC (PGCB)	Md. Abdul Monayem Chowdhury, Executive Director (O & M)	Member
8	Energypac Engineering Ltd.	Rabiul Alam, CEO	Member
9	BTCL	Mr. Mohammad Mamunur Rashid, MD	Member
10	NWPGCL	Engr. Hasibul Hasan, MD	Member
11	Grameen Phone	S M Robiul Islam, General Manager and Head of User Experience Assurance, Network Services	Member
12	DESCO	Mr. Zulfiquar Tahmid, Chief Engineer (Network Operation) & Executive Director (Operation) – Add. Chg.	Member
13	Neural Semiconductor Ltd.	Md. Shakhawat Hossain, COO	Member
14	Red Dot Digital	Hasib Mustabsir, CEO and MD	Member
15	MCCI	Mr. Habibullah N Karim, Senior Vice-President, MCCI, MD and CEO, Technohaven Company Ltd	Member

The meeting commenced with a welcome address delivered by Professor Dr. A B M Harun-ur-Rashid, Head of the Department of EEE. Subsequently, two brief video presentations were shown to demonstrate the major activities of EEE department and research areas of its faculty members. This was followed by a presentation on the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) curriculum of the EEE Department. This session was conducted by Dr. Sajid Muhaimin Choudhury, Member EEE SAC. He also pointed out the initiatives taken by the department based on the feedback received from the IAP at the first meeting.

Next, a feedback session namely “Bridging the Gap: IAP Feedback on Graduates’ Readiness and Industry Collaboration” was conducted by Professor Dr. Shaikh Anowarul Fattah. During this session, the IAP members were invited to share their feedback based on following five main areas:

i. Feedback on missing skills of Fresh Graduates, to enhance curriculum

ii. Support for Industry Internship Programs to achieve industry readiness

iii. Industry-Academia Project and Research Collaboration to solve industry problems

iv. Training Programs on future/advanced technology, policy, standards

v. Job Preparation and Recruitment Support for our students

Dr. Fattah briefly explained the expectations.

Summary of IAP Feedback

i. Feedback on missing skills of Fresh Graduates, to enhance curriculum

1. Project Management Course

A comprehensive course covering project planning, specification preparation, environmental and social impact assessment, and informed decision-making.

2. Courses on Emerging Technologies

Introduction and enhancement of courses in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science, Data Security, Embedded Systems, and Programming.

3. Communication and Presentation Skills Development

Implementation of a structured and measurable process to enhance students' communication, presentation, dress code, and public speaking skills.

4. Industry-Relevant Course Content

Enrichment of academic courses with practical examples and real-world applications, particularly in fields like telecommunications.

ii. Support for Industry Internship Programs to achieve industry readiness

1. Internship Opportunities

Industrial Advisory Panel (IAP) members will allocate a specific number of internship positions annually for EEE students.

2. Extended Internship Programs

Provision of long-duration internships to ensure deeper industry exposure and skill development.

iii. Industry-Academia Project and Research Collaboration to solve industry problems

1. Development of a Research/Project Portal

A dedicated portal where industries can post their needs and challenges, while the EEE department can showcase innovative solutions and provide regular updates on ongoing projects.

2. Software and Automation Projects by Students

Assigning technical tasks to students such as real-time power demand forecasting (e.g., 15-minute interval prediction for PGCB).

3. National Challenge-Based Projects

Encouraging students and faculty to work on national issues, aiming to develop feasible solutions with real-world impact.

4. Advanced Computing Facility

Grameen will offer a state-of-the-art computing facility starting from July 1, 2025, for academic and research use.

5. Access to Industry Lab Facilities

Collaboration allowing EEE students and faculty to utilize laboratory facilities available within industry premises.

6. Student Contributions to Industrial Product Development

Enabling EEE students to assist in developing industry-grade products such as solar PV equipment, VRE integration systems, smart grid components, and maintenance tools.

7. Modernization of Laboratories

Upgrading academic labs with modern infrastructure to support advanced research and training, particularly in renewable energy technologies like solar PV.

iv. Training Programs on future/advanced technology, policy, standards

1. Industry-Grade Training Programs

Access to professional training modules that align with current industry standards and expectations.

2. Two-Way Industry-Academia Collaboration

Promoting collaborative project and research proposals from both academia and industry, inspired by successful international models.

v. Job Preparation and Recruitment Support for students

1. On-the-Job Training on Advanced Topics

Facilitating opportunities for students and faculty to engage in practical, advanced-level industrial training programs.

vi. Miscellaneous

1. Local Partnership for Global Solutions

Positioning the EEE department as a local partner for industries to meet global technological and project demands.

2. Triangular Collaboration: Industry, Academia, and Policymakers

Establishing joint initiatives involving industry, academic institutions, and regulatory/policymaking bodies.

3. Daylong Collaboration Forum

Organizing comprehensive discussion sessions on research, innovation, and project collaboration with stakeholders such as MCCI, PGCB, and other interested industries.

4. Enhancing National Visibility

Increasing outreach by hosting seminars, workshops, and panel discussions on cutting-edge technologies and contemporary challenges.

The meeting concluded with vote of thanks from the Head of the Department and a photo session attended by faculty members and participating guests.