Five Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) undergraduate students from the School of Engineering, Technology and Sciences (SETS) have set off for the Vellore Institute of Technology, (VIT) Vellore, India to participate in an international exchange program from January to May 2024. Established in 1984 in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, VIT is regarded as an ‘Institution of Eminence’ by the Indian Government.

The five IUB students are Mohammed Showharwade Neshad and Fuad Hossain from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and Naima Alam Zikra, MD Fardin Islam and Israt Jahan from the Department of Physical Sciences. Neshad and Fuad are 10th semester students and Naima, Israt and Fardin are 8th semester students. Chosen for this exchange program for their exceptional extracurricular engagements and academic achievements, they will undertake advanced courses in their respective fields, further enriching their knowledge and sharpening their skill sets.

Naima was born in Noakhali and raised in Saudi Arabia. She studied in the Middle Eastern country until the seventh grade and returned to Bangladesh in 2013. After completing HSC at Milestone College, Uttara, Dhaka, she initially considered medicine but found her passion for physics in 2021. Overcoming financial challenges, she transitioned to private education with a 60% scholarship at IUB. Now, participating in the VIT exchange program, she looks forward to a challenging academic experience in her field.

Neshad's journey began in Chittagong, then took a turn to Oman at the age of five. In 2019, the family returned to Bangladesh due to COVID, and after his A-Levels, he joined IUB preferring its broad-based activities and liberal environment. He opted for Computer Science and Engineering to align with his aviation interests. He aims to pursue aviation when his undergraduate studies are done and keep on exploring further academic achievements in the field of CSE.

Fuad, a Yale Int’l School alumnus from Uttara, Dhaka, holds a special place in his nuclear family, with siblings settled both in the country and abroad. Initially eyeing fully-funded Cadet Pilot Programs, like the one from Bamboo Airlines, Vietnam (worth BDT 7 million) Fuad's plans were disrupted by the pandemic. Despite an USD 8,000 scholarship offer from the University of Calgary, Canada, his family encouraged him to choose IUB for its excellent reputation and safe environment. Proficient in both hardware and software, Fuad found CSE to be his calling.

Fardin, raised by an entrepreneur father and a cafe owner mother, attended Monipur High School and College in Dhaka. Despite holding aspirations to earn his undergraduate degree abroad in the USA, he couldn't secure a scholarship. Opting for IUB due to its exceptional Physics program, he began with a 50% scholarship, now enjoying a full 100% scholarship for his contributions to extracurricular activities. Focused on physics due to his profound love for math and its logical philosophy, he finds his chosen subject to be delightfully engaging.

Israt Jahan, a Maple Leaf A-Levels alum from Dhanmondi, Dhaka, pursued Physics because she has always found the discipline fascinating. Her joint family, with strong encouragement from her grandfather and father, always prioritized education and the pursuit of maximum academic experience.

“Study abroad opportunities, particularly semester-long exchange programs, are the perfect bridge between academia and experiential learning. Study abroad is a ‘mobility’ option that has skyrocketed in popularity especially after the pandemic. IUB provides its undergraduates with a number of study-abroad options both in Asia and overseas. This group of students going to VIT are the pilot cohort in this exchange program, and they will set the example for others to follow. I am confident that they will exploit this opportunity to the fullest,” said Farheen Khan, Director, International Programs and Relations of IUB.