Delegates of the Professional Fellows Program Visited CED’s Business Incubation Centre

As a part of the Professional Fellows Program (PFP), a team from the USof Fulbright Fellows currently commencing their fellowship in Bangladesh, visited the The Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED) office on 15 January 2023.

The team was led by Dr. Elanie Steyn (Program Lead of PFP; and the Associate Dean & Professor, Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication; University of Oklahoma). Fellows from the team include Zach Mays (Gitwit Creative), Susan Moring (Cortado Ventures), Armand McCoy (Lindsey + Asp), Joe Givens (Premier Logistics LLC), and Jeff Mancini (Premier Logistics LLC).

The Professional Fellows Program (PFP) is a two-way global exchange program designed to promote mutual understanding, enhance leadership and professional skills, as well as build lasting, sustainable partnerships between mid-level emerging leaders from foreign countries and the United States. PFP participants are placed in intensive 5-6weeks’ fellowships in non-profit organizations, private sector businesses, and government offices across the United States for an individually tailored professional development experience.

CED of BRAC University is the only member institution from Bangladesh and has been a part of this exchange program since 2011. Mr. Shamim Ehsanul Haque (Assistant Professor, at BRAC Business School; and Senior Research Fellow, CED-BRAC University) anchored the program. He welcomed the guests with warm wishes and enlightened them about the role of BRAC University.

BRAC university always opens new doors for entrepreneurs and researchers. CED established itsfirst-ever university-based Business Incubation Center (BIC)under the HEQEP program in 2011 with the aim of fostering the entrepreneurial spirit of its aspiring “studentpreneurs”.

At present, CED has 14 alumni-owned startups/enterprises, and several flagship programs with international organizations and universities such as Laudes Foundation, GIZ, UNEP, UN Women, Copenhagen Business School, Columbia University, Aberdeen University, Cornell University, etc.
Dr. Elanie and her team visited both the BIC and the owners of the startups receiving incubation support and services, as well as the project office of Mapped in Bangladesh (MiB),the first-ever digital map on the export-oriented RMG factories of Bangladesh.

The exchange fellows were delighted to learn about CED’s diverse initiatives. There took place a networking and experience-sharing session between the entrepreneurs. The event ended with a hope for future collaborations between the entrepreneurs.