The Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) of Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) organized an alumni engagement session titled “Career and Coffee” on April 26, 2025 at the CSE External Outreach Office.

Discussions centered around strategies for industry readiness and strengthening ties between alumni and current students. The session was conducted through interactive exchanges between alumni and students and focused on curriculum development, skill-building, and community engagement.

It was coordinated by Dr. Mahady Hasan, Associate Professor of CSE and Coordinator of the department’s External Outreach Office, who is also a 2001 CSE alum; and initiated by Students on Duty Masuda Alam Moutushi and Ifsia Sarwar from the Outreach Office.

Alumni participants included 2002 alum Samiul Hassan, IT Business Relationship Manager at LM Ericsson Bangladesh; 2001 alum Nashid Ali, CEO of CloudCreative Ltd. and adjunct faculty at IUB; 2002 alum Hasinur Rahman, Team Lead at World University CIS Department; 2004 alum Sajjadul Islam, CIO at NCC Bank; Fahim Shariar, Principal of IT at Rupali Bank in System Administration; and 2016 alum Monirul Islam, currently working at an IT company in Australia.

Alumni recommended integrating a formal co-op program to reduce the training burden on employers and align academic outcomes with industry expectations. They emphasized the need for Live-in-Field Experience (LFE) Program, mandatory internships, and real-world case studies sourced directly from industry partners. The proposals aimed to address the industry's increasing demand for job-ready graduates with minimal onboarding requirements.

Participants also discussed launching entrepreneurship support through the planned “IUB 360: Innovation Incubation Center” to provide startup exposure for students. Suggestions included organizing regular workshops and training programs in areas such as AI, cybersecurity, data science, and cloud computing. Informal formats such as tech talks and interactive seminars were proposed to maintain student awareness of evolving technologies and practices.

To strengthen alumni engagement, alumni proposed maintaining the department’s Facebook page, compiling a centralized Google contact list, and developing a dedicated alumni networking application. The CSE External Outreach Office was identified as a recurring venue for future gatherings.

The department plans to continue the “Career and Coffee” series as a recurring platform to align academic preparation with market trends and build sustained engagement between alumni and students.

#SDG4 #SDG8 #SDG9 #SDG17