With the pandemic taking over the world, industries in Bangladesh have drastically adapted to the fluctuating circumstances in the business world. Highlighting the waves in development and the accomplishments Bangladesh has achieved in its 50 years of independence, BRAC Business School organized the third International Conference of Business and Management (ICBM) themed “Fostering Sustainable and Equitable Global Development: Building on 50 Years of Independence of Bangladesh and Overcoming Challenges of COVID-19” at BRAC University from the 4th of December to the 5th of December. This multi-disciplinary conference is dedicated to promoting knowledge on these two very timely and pivotal issues – through the exchange of ideas, research, experience, and values.
The ICBM features academics and scholars; corporate, non-profit, and development-entity leaders; policymakers; regulators and experts with interest in the fields of business, management, and related disciplines and invites them to present papers, organize special sessions, and act as the session chairs and general participants.
This year’s ICBM received 137 submissions, with 87 selected papers presented in different parallel sessions including esteemed session chairs who are international and national scholars, academicians and students.
Chief guest K M Khalid MP, State Minister, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Honorary General Chair Professor Vincent Chang, PhD, Vice Chancellor and President, Brac University, Conference Chair Professor Sang H. Lee, PhD, Dean, Brac Business School, Special Guest Professor Charalabos Doumanidis, Vice President, Research, Brac University, and Guest of Honor Mr. Ahsanur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer, BRAC EPL Stock Brokerage Limited opened the international conference at the inauguration ceremony.
The inauguration ceremony was closely followed by three keynote speaker sessions conducted by Doctor Halil Kiymaz, PhD, CFA, Bank of America Professor of Finance, Crummer Graduate School of Business, Rollins College, USA, Doctor Mohammad Abdul Haque, PhD, Professor, Brac Business School, Brac University and Doctor Tomas Casas i Klett, PhD, Professor and Director, China Competence Center, University of St. Gallen. In his keynote speech, Mr. Halil Kiymaz focused on the importance of financial sustainability, with other speakers also reiterating the importance of development, overall sustainability, and the progress towards a better world.
An intensive workshop was also conducted on the first day of the conference, titled the "PhD Colloquium," allowing students from across the world to present their research papers and receive valuable feedback and guidance from the session chairs in attendance. The workshop was led by Sang H. Lee, PhD, Professor and Dean, Brac Business School, Mohammad Mujibul Haque, PhD, Professor and Associate Dean, Brac Business School, Halil Kiymaz, PhD, CFA, Bank of America Professor of Finance, Crummer Graduate School of Business, Rollins College, USA, Mohammad Abdul Haque, PhD, Professor, Brac Business School, Sharmin Shabnam Rahman, PhD, Associate Professor, Brac Business School, Suman Paul Chowdhury, PhD, Associate Professor, Brac Business School, Md. Mizanur Rahman, PhD, Assistant Professor, Brac Business School, Tarnima Warda Andalib, PhD, Assistant Professor, Brac Business School, and Noman H Chowdhury, PhD, Assistant Professor, Brac Business School. The workshop focused on the areas of finance, management, accounting, organizational behavior and management information systems.
The first day of the conference closed with a Brac Business School alumni discussion, focusing on the effect of Covid-19 and the opportunities and challenges readily available for university graduates. The discussion was followed by an industry-academia discussion, with several industry leaders present from Bangladesh. The industry discussion was led by Sebastian Groh, PhD, Associate Professor, Brac Business School, and featured Alejandro Crawford, Chief Executive Officer, Rebelbase, Aurora Winslade, Director for Sustainability, Stanford University, Eban Goodstein, Director MBA in Sustainability, Bard College, USA, Zaved Akthar, Managing Director, Unilever Bangladesh, Mr. Ahsanur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer, BRAC EPL Stock Brokerage Limited, Nisbat Anwar, Head of HR, Renata Limited, Tanveer Ali, Executive Director, Olympic Industries, and Faheem Ahmed, Partner, Anchorless Bangladesh as speakers.
The second day of the international conference comprised of similar parallel sessions, workshops and discussions, including a workshop on preparing for PhD admissions abroad, a segment designed to support students with helpful tips and guidance on how to succeed in their PhD endeavors. The keynote session on the second day was led by Ding-Long Pham, Youth Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Consultant, United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
The ICBM closing ceremony featured several renowned speakers including Mohammad Mujibul Haque, PhD, Associate Dean, Brac Business School & Program Chair, ICBM 2021, and guests of honor S M Rashedul Hasan, Managing Director & CEO, UCB Asset Management, Mr. David, Maynard, Director, Education, British Council, Ms. Sharlina Hussain-Morgan, Cultural Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy, Dhaka.
The ICBM 2021 featured 187 local and foreign authors, with 15 Papers chosen as the best papers and awarded to recipients.