The Institute of Frontier Technology (IFT) will be established at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), with the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority and BUET signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the project on Wednesday.
The initiative, under the first-phase infrastructure project of IFT, aims to address the skill gap in advanced technology fields, according to an ICT Division press release.
Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant for Posts, Telecommunications and ICT Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb emphasized that the institute’s establishment at BUET would bridge the growing skill gap resulting from the distance between industry and academia. He pointed out that significant research and skills gaps still exist, and the IFT would be crucial in addressing these issues.
Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb explained that while universities outside economic hubs face challenges in mobilizing resources such as students, faculty, and researchers, BUET’s existing infrastructure and resource mobilization capabilities, combined with its success in fields like civil engineering and water management, make it an ideal location for the IFT.
He also highlighted that the establishment of IFT would not require additional land acquisition or design costs, expressing gratitude to BUET for its cooperation. The institute will offer dynamic courses designed to meet industry needs, with flexible curricula for short, medium, and long-term courses tailored to closing Bangladesh’s skill gap.
“We will introduce a model where returning expatriate teachers can take courses that are tailored to industry needs,” Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb said. “This initiative will help equip the workforce with the necessary skills.”
He also shared that the physical infrastructure would be completed within two years, with academic operations fully established within four years, through close collaboration between BUET and the Hi-Tech Park Authority.
In response, BUET Vice-Chancellor Professor Abu Borhan Mohammad Badruzzaman thanked the ICT Division for the partnership, describing the initiative as timely and offering a significant opportunity for BUET.
“Technologies defined as frontier today will not hold the same definition in five years,” said BUET’s Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Abdul Hasib Chowdhury. “Institutions must remain dynamic, market-friendly, and flexible in their approach to skill development.”
The IFT will focus on advanced courses in machine learning, AI, robotics, micro-fabrication, blockchain, bioengineering, nanotechnology, neuro-technology, data science, cyber security, hyper-automation, and entrepreneurship.
The MoU signing ceremony was also attended by ICT Secretary Shish Haydar Chowdhury, Hi-Tech Park Authority Managing Director AKM Amirul Islam, and Project Director Dr Md Mansur Alam, along with other officials from BUET and the Hi-Tech Park Authority.
Previously, the ousted Awami League government had acquired land in Madaripur for the proposed institute, but the interim government later opted out of the plan, citing feasibility concerns.
