Center for Entrepreneurship Development (CED) of Brac University, on 2 February 2021, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the ICT Department’s iDEA Project as a collaboration between entities to work on different aspects of entrepreneurship development in Bangladesh.
The MoU was signed at the meeting room of iDEA Project in the presence of Mr N M Ziaul Alam PAA (Senior Secretary, ICT Department).
The Establishment of Innovation and Entrepreneur Development Academy (iDEA) project of the Department of Information and Communication Technology has been working since 2016 with the aim of building a startup ecosystem in Bangladesh. The iDEA project is working closely with internationally recognized domestic and foreign educational institutions and various important industries for the benefit of startups and to increase their skills and knowledge.
Ms Kazi Hosne Ara, Deputy Project Director (Deputy Secretary) of iDEA Project and Syed Mojibul Haque, Director and Additional Secretary were present on behalf of iDEA Project. Mr Shamim Ehsanul Haque, (Senior Research Fellow, CED and Assistant Professor, BRAC Business School, BracU) was the signatory from BracU.
Along with CED-BracU; other institutions of Bangladesh like IBA, IIT, Jabiprobi also to work with ICT department’s iDEA project to create startup ecosystems.
Mr Parthapratim Dev, Executive Director of Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC) was present at the occasion.
The MoU signing gives the iDEA project startups access to BRAC University’s Business Incubation Center (BIC) as well as potential projects to use co-working spaces and labs for iDEA project. In addition, the two sides will jointly assist each other in training, partnerships, joint ventures, venue support, fellowship programs in the USA and Australia.
The MoU will help startups to transform their innovative ideas into sustainable business models by providing mentoring and necessary training.
This collaboration is expected to create a viable startup ecosystem in the country which will play a significant role in creating a better business environment in the country in future, said Mr Syed Mojibul Haque (Director and Additional Secretary, iDEA Project).