"In every profession, possibility of success depends on the integrity and the will to succeed because if there is will, every obstacle can be overcome," said revered Bangladeshi-Korean actor Mahbub "Lee" Alam. "The life of a migrant worker, no matter which country they are in, is never easy, and the switch from being a migrant worker to an improbable profession like acting was full of challenges."

Mahbub, who starred in the internationally acclaimed film "Bandhobi", made the remarks while delivering the keynote speech in a seminar titled Bangladesh-Korea Cultural Exchange organised by the Department of Media and Communication at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) on April 4. The seminar aimed at highlighting the significance of the growing cultural understanding and relationship between Bangladesh and South Korea.

IUB's Department of Media and Communication Head Prof. Zakir Hossain Raju said, "We have been at the forefront of understanding, studying, and disseminating Korean culture, especially Korean media culture, at the academic level and also at the public level and we're serving as the key platform for sharing, and enjoying the great music, culture, and cinema of South Korea."

In his keynote speech, Mahbub also said the struggles and challenges that Bangladeshi migrant workers face abroad, was the main inspiration behind his decision to switch profession. That was why over the years he had put in a lot of effort to create platforms for cultural exchanges between Bangladesh and South Korea. One of those efforts include establishing the Migrant Workers TV that specialises in the migrant population in South Korea where he produced acclaimed programs such as The World of a Migrant Worker and the Multilingual News. Mahbub has also played a key role in organising the annual Migrant Workers Film Festival where international films portraying the lives of migrant workers around the world are showcased. 

The keynote speech was followed by a question-answer session where Mahbub answered questions from several IUB students. Acting Head of the Department of Media and Communication Raisa Rasheeka delivered a vote of thanks to Mahbub Alam.

IUB has been disseminating knowledge and resources on Korea for around a decade. In 2014, the Department of Media and Communication launched a specialised course on Korean Cinema and Society which is the only such course in a university in South Asia. The students of this course also went on to establish the IUB K-Club in 2015. 

In the last seven years, IUB has hosted a number of programs focusing on Korea, many of which were supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Bangladesh. Recently, IUB became the first private university in Bangladesh to win the prestigious Window on Korea grant from the Korean government to set up and run a Korea Corner inside the IUB Library.