Research papers submitted for AL’s international seminar on 4IR

The call for submission of research on the fourth industrial revolution – a first of its kind initiative by Awami League's subcommittee on science and technology – drew overwhelming response with papers submitted by globally and nationally acclaimed academics and experts.

As many as 578 authors came up with their research papers encompassing different fields revolving 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) in technology – mostly to complement the party's effort to build on the pledge of "Smart Bangladesh", the next phase of digital transformation the government seeks to implement to address future challenges.

Among them there are researchers from the Silicon Valley, London Imperial College, Australia's Monash University, McMaster and Calgary universities in Canada, several universities in US, and Kyoto University in Japan, according to a press release.

Set to be held next month, the two-day international conference would see participation from the country's state minister for ICT Junaid Ahmed Palak and Engineer Md Abdus Sabur, AL's Science and Technology Secretary, among other experts. It will take place at the capital's Engineers' Institution, Bangladesh (IEB).

The international conference provides a unique opportunity for professionals, scientists, engineers, educators, researchers and students to share their views and thoughts on both the innovative drives of the government targeting 4IR and exploring emerging technologies that can lead to a "smart Bangladesh" by 2041.

The organizers believe the country is progressing rapidly and to address the course of future progress, such initiatives stand as a pointer to the party's measures for chartering out timely ideas to shape its visions.

Courtesy Sajeeb Wazed, the ICT affairs advisor to PM, who has been credited with the country's real and measurable gains in digital landscape with setting many records from making internet cost effective, taking public services at people's doorstep, setting up ICT parks, and expansion of mobile financial services over the space of a decade, Bangladesh now boasts a significant earning from overseas through offering different services.

Digital Bangladesh is a vision introduced by AL before the 2008 national election, seeking to brining about a revolution in the country's overall rise in South Asia.

In a word, this is one step forward towards works on 4IR and the party believes that this conference will give a chance to make inter and intra relationships and share knowledge among policymakers, scientists and researchers.