The Faculty of Computer Science and Digital Innovation (FCSDI) at the UCSI University Bangladesh Branch Campus organised an industry-focused hands-on workshop titled “Workshop 101: Build Smarter, Connect Faster” on Thursday, at the 13th Floor Lab Room of the university campus.
Vice President (Academic) Prof HM Jahirul Haque, graced the programme as the chief guest, highlighting the university’s commitment to technology-driven education, experiential learning, innovation, and stronger collaboration between academia and industry.
The workshop was designed to provide students with practical exposure to emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, modern AI development environments, and intelligent application development.
Emphasis was placed on Google AI Studio and Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling participants to explore how AI models can interact with tools, data sources, applications, and external services to build smarter and more context-aware solutions.
The hands-on session was led by MindSpark Founder and CEO Mahbuba Yesmin Tuaraba, who shared her insights and practical experience in AI-driven innovation and solution development.
Through an application-oriented approach, she demonstrated how emerging AI technologies can be transformed from concepts into practical solutions addressing real-world needs, encouraging students to look beyond conventional AI usage and explore how intelligent systems can be designed, connected, and deployed for meaningful applications.
As an entrepreneur and technology professional, Mahbuba Yesmin also shared perspectives on the growing opportunities created by AI for young developers, innovators, and future entrepreneurs.
She emphasised the importance of combining technical knowledge, creativity, problem-solving ability, and an innovation mindset to succeed in the rapidly evolving AI ecosystem, providing valuable exposure on translating academic concepts into practical products and business solutions.
The workshop was also conducted by C3Bit Co-Founder Rizwan Hasan, who contributed his industry experience and technical perspectives to the hands-on activities.
Together, the facilitators introduced participants to contemporary AI development practices and demonstrated practical approaches to developing connected and AI-powered applications.
A distinctive feature of Workshop 101 was its strong emphasis on “learning by doing”. Rather than limiting the programme to theoretical discussions, students were encouraged to engage directly with the technologies, experiment with AI development tools, and understand how modern AI environments can be applied to solve real-world problems.
The event provided an effective platform for strengthening industry–academia collaboration. Direct interaction with technology entrepreneurs and industry practitioners enabled students to gain perspectives beyond conventional classroom learning and better understand emerging technologies, current development practices, innovation opportunities, and the skills increasingly demanded by the AI-driven workplace.
The programme was initiated by Prof Syed Akhter Hossain as part of FCSDI’s continuing efforts to strengthen experiential learning, technological innovation, and industry engagement among students. The event was organised by the FCSDI team, comprising Niaz Makhdum, Syed Akhik Adnan, and Sarwar Alam, with support from FCSDI volunteers.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Syed Akhter Hossain emphasised the importance of connecting academic learning with emerging technologies and industry practices.
He highlighted that, in the age of AI, universities must prepare students not merely to become users of technology, but to develop into creators, innovators, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers capable of building technology solutions for society and industry.
The theme “Build Smarter, Connect Faster” captured the workshop’s focus on the emerging paradigm of connected and intelligent AI systems.
Through practical demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and interaction with the facilitators, participants developed a clearer understanding of how AI can be integrated with different tools, services, and information sources to create intelligent applications and innovative solutions.
The successful completion of Workshop 101 further strengthened FCSDI’s commitment to promoting AI literacy, practical technological competence, innovation, entrepreneurship, industry engagement, and career readiness among its students.
FCSDI intends to continue organising industry-oriented workshops, seminars, technical sessions, and hands-on learning activities to ensure that students remain connected with emerging technologies and evolving professional practices.
