The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and The Asian University for Women (AUW) together Saturday (January 21, 2023) announced the launch of the "HSBC-AUW School of Apparel and Retail Management," a one-year master of science in apparel and retail management programme. The programme will be guided by a global academic committee chaired by Dipak C Jain, former dean of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He also served as the dean of INSEAD in France. The HSBC-AUW School of Apparel and Retail Management will prepare young female professionals with expertise in fashion, merchandising, supply chain management, brand management, and occupational health and safety issues, said a media statement Saturday. Read: Diesel import from India via pipeline from June: Nasrul Hamid The programme was launched at the "HSBC-AUW School of Apparel: Leading the Future of Fashion" at Chattogram hotel. Education Minister Dipu Moni sent a video message to the event. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi, Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, AUW founder Kamal Ahmad, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association President Faruque Hassan, former Denmark prime minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, US state department senior official Katrina Fotovat, The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam, and HSBC Bangladesh CEO Md Mahbub ur Rahman, joined the programme. Read: 5th BMCCI LegalTalk seminar on tax law, foreign investment held AUW Vice-Chancellor Rubana Huq said: "Today, the apparel industry in Bangladesh needs a homegrown talent pool, which will serve the needs of the sector. So, to prepare cohorts ready to take on the challenge of employability in Bangladesh, AUW is happy to launch the School of Apparel with HSBC Bangladesh." Amanda Murphy, head of commercial banking (South and Southeast Asia) at HSBC said: "The global apparel industry is evolving rapidly alongside emerging technologies, changing consumption patterns and an increasing focus on sustainability." "We are proud to partner with the Asian University for Women to launch the HSBC-AUW School of Apparel and the Masters programme to equip future talent with the expertise to drive continued innovation in Bangladesh's largest export industry. Importantly, this programme supports the professional and leadership development of women, providing better access to opportunities through inclusion and fostering long-term growth for Bangladesh and its communities." Read More: In the era of RMG, showcasing the Majestic Silks of Bangladesh Academic excellence, industry relevance and social significance would be the defining features of the programme. The graduates would be technologically savvy, have superior communication skills and gain up-to-date, contemporary knowledge and skills needed for apparel and retail management. Under the programme, 13 courses will be offered to students of AUW. And 50 students will be enrolled in the inaugural year. HSBC will help set up the school by designing Mac labs and providing support for curriculum and faculty, IT and class infrastructure and education materials. Read More: Bangladesh to become 9th largest consumer market globally by 2030: HSBC

The Board of Trustees of the Asian University for Women (AUW) has appointed Dr. Rubana Huq as the new Vice Chancellor of the University.  Dr. Huq who earned wide prominence as the first female president of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), is a published poet who earned her PhD in Literature from India’s Jadavpur University.  Dr. Huq has been a trustee of AUW and, was more recently, elected as Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, AUW said on Tuesday. She was instrumental in launching AUW’s Pathways for Promise program that enables exceptionally talented workers from Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) factories to enroll at AUW.  She was named as one of BBC’s top 100 women in the world in 2013 and again in 2014.  Dr. Huq is currently also a Visiting Fellow at the Stern School of Business at New York University and the Asia Center at Harvard University. In announcing Dr. Huq’s appointment, Education Minister and Chair of the AUW Board of Trustees Dr Dipu Moni said in Rubana Huq, the trustees found an exemplary leader and administrator to lead AUW to its next stage of development.  "She will bring the high intellectual qualities that make AUW a special place but also the fine managerial and financial acumen that AUW needs in constructing its new campus in Chittagong and stabilizing its finances to make the institution sustainable over the long run," Dipu Moni said. While accepting the appointment, the incoming Vice Chancellor Rubana Huq said AUW has always been a symbol of creativity and ingenuity to her. "The institution’s unassailable commitment to both scholarship and education, the caliber of the faculty, and the spirit of the students from all over Asia make AUW unique." READ: BGMEA election: Panel with Rubana Huq submits nominations She also said, "With the talent and the values we have, backed by the vision of the Founder, Kamal Ahmad and the guidance of the Chair, Dr. Dipu Moni and other trustees, I am convinced that we will emerge as a symbol of ultimate meritocracy with the aspiration to be better every day. ” Dr. Huq succeeds noted political scientist Professor Nirmala Rao who retired from AUW after serving as AUW’s Vice Chancellor for five years. In acknowledgment of Professor Rao’s service to AUW, Minister Dipu Moni said that “AUW was fortunate to have the benefit of Professor Rao’s leadership in directing the University for five years.  Professor Rao brought to AUW her wide global experience in higher education to help shape AUW as a regional center of excellence.  We owe a huge debt to Professor Rao for her contributions to AUW.” Dr. Huq will be supported on the academic programs by two deans:  Dr. Beena Khurana, a cognitive psychologist with a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley who had previously been on the faculty of Cornell and Sussex Universities as well as at California Polytechnic where she directed the MBA Program and Dr. David Taylor, a historian of South Asia who served as Pro Director of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) as well as Vice Provost and Interim Provost of the Aga Khan University in Pakistan.

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) on Saturday launched 'Go Human, Go Green', an initiative that pledges to put workers and their prosperity at the forefront.

As part of Cosmos  Dialogue, a webinar titled “Impact of COVID-19 on Bangladesh: Prognosis for Recovery" will be held on Friday connecting experts from home and abroad virtually. The webinar will begin at 8pm (BST) at www.facebook.com/unbnewsroom which will be the first-ever webinar as part of Cosmos Dialogue.