IUBAT, the first to bring BBA degrees to Bangladesh

Founded in 1991, International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT) was the first private university established in Bangladesh. The university was founded by Professor Dr M Alimullah Miyan, then director of Dhaka University's Institute of Business Administration, who submitted a proposal to the government in this regard on July 27, 1989.

Located in Sector 10 of the Uttara Model Town area in Dhaka, the university continues to be one of the leading educational institutes in the country, focusing on inclusion, social equity, justice and gender equality while maintaining high standards of education and research.

It was also IUBAT that introduced the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree in Bangladesh back in 1992. The overall goal of this programme is to contribute to the country's socio-economic development through proper education, training, guidance, human resource development and knowledge creation.

The programme offers majors in finance, marketing, accounting, HRM, management and production while hosting a range of experienced faculty members, most of whom are foreign degree holders.

IUBAT strives to prepare its students to pursue a career of their choice by acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills.  To this end, it offers special services like modern living, career planning and internships. BBA students take two SPSS and Photoshop courses, enabling them to apply their skills in a variety of everyday business activities such as research and innovation.

The BBA curriculum is structured in line with the North American education system. Preference is given to PhD holders in the recruitment of teachers. In addition, teachers' educational background, academic results, research performance and capabilities are evaluated. Only capable teachers are able to produce business leaders, through quality teaching. Hence, IUBAT does not compromise with the competence of its educators.

IUBAT's slogan is "An Environment Designed for Learning". It has a top-ranked green campus where students enjoy numerous facilities, including lush green lawns, fountains and a lake. Here, students can maintain a balance between extracurricular and academic activities. Football, cricket and other inter-departmental games are organised all year-round on the playgrounds of the campus.

In IUBAT, students receive theoretical as well as practical education. They gain knowledge on various subjects through theoretical classes and acquire skills through lab courses, case studies, simulations, projects, research, presentation and more.

BBA students enjoy many facilities like classrooms equipped with high-end computers connected to high-speed Wi-Fi and LAN, multimedia projectors, and a library stocked with thousands of books, e-books and subscribed renowned research journals.

The innovation hub and entrepreneurship centre provides comprehensive insights into contemporary business and innovation. "Freedom, Freedom is Life", the Liberation War corner in the library, is a repository of many books, reports and video documentaries related to the country's inception. Students can also benefit from the repository of internship reports of the alumni preserved in the library as well.

Various national and international competitions and events like national debate competitions, innovation competitions, business day, entrepreneur fairs, career seminars and fairs, alumni day, HR day, marketing day and more are organised regularly.

The IUBAT Alumni and Placement Office help to build a strong relationship between the current students and the alumni. Moreover, the office organises a career fest so that fresh graduates can get jobs within a short period.

IBS (IUBAT Business Society) organises various in-house and external programmes, events and co-curricular activities for business students. The university also recruits the best students of the BBA programme as teaching assistants.

There is also a teacher for every 20 students to guide them during designated hours in addition to customary classroom interactions.

In the final semester, BBA students have to undergo a "practicum" through internship placement in various organisations. After completing a four-month internship programme, they have to prepare a report and present it before faculty members and fellow students for defence.

The theme at IUBAT is "Higher Education for Every Qualified Person with Finance for Meritorious but Needy".

IUBAT provides BDT 20 million in scholarships, tuition waivers and grants annually for students from Bangladesh and abroad. The university provides up to 100 percent scholarship based on the SSC and HSC or equivalent exam results and provides a 15 percent gender parity scholarship for female students as well.

Scholarships are also awarded for excellence in sports, art and or cultural functions. The university is a firm believer in affirmative action and also provides scholarships to students from minority communities. Besides, IUBAT provides 100 percent scholarships based on semester performances.

Global equivalency of IUBAT degrees is well authenticated in the success of graduates pursuing higher education, including PhDs in different universities around the world. IUBAT has memoranda of understanding with 112 higher education and professional institutions in Europe, North America, Australia, Asia and Africa for student and faculty exchange, joint research, credit transfer, and internships.

While preparing students for success in employment, the university emphasises quality and efficiency. From the very first semester, IUBAT puts stresses education and career planning. The placement office helps students secure jobs and internships, while the alumni association helps them create strong connections required for their career progress.