Picture shows Ambassador Isiak A. Imam (2nd Left), Secretary General of D-8 and a Director of D-8 (1st Right), Mr. Salahuddin Kasem Khan, (2nd Right) Executive Chairman, SEACO Foundation and Syed Mahmudul Huq (1st Left), Member, Board of Governance, SEACO Foundation.
SEACO Foundation meets D-8 Commission Secretariat personnel at an official Lunch-Reception held at the State Guest House-Jamuna, Dhaka on 22 October, 2023 hosted in honour of the esteemed Commissioners and participants of the 47th Sessions of D-8 Commission (22 to 23 October 2023 in Dhaka, Bangladesh) by Ambassador Masud Bin Momen, Foreign Secretary (Senior Secretary), Government of Bangladesh.
In the sidelines of the Lunch-Reception, Mr. Salahuddin Kasem Khan, Executive Chairman, SEACO Foundation and Syed Mahmudul Huq, Member, Board of Governance, SEACO Foundation and Chairman of the Sub-Committee for SEACO Universities Network (SUN) held a meeting with the D-8 Commission Secretariat personnel.
They informed that SEACO Foundation has taken the initiative to develop SEACO Universities Network (SUN) in the region focusing on promoting regional cooperation among the concerned SEACO and D8 countries in the tertiary education sector to address the challenges of 4IR (4th Industrial Revolution) with its possible applications across the broad economy including manufacturing, agriculture, health, tourism etc. with the ultimate objective of promoting SEACO Online Education.
They also informed the Secretary General of D-8 Commission that the Hon’ble Prime Minister of the Government of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina appreciated the initiative of SEACO Foundation for development of a network of universities in the name of SEACO Universities Network (SUN) and this was endorsed by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh at the time of her inaugural speech while assuming the chair of D-8 countries at the 10th D-8 SUMMIT in Dhaka in April 2021.
Establishment of such a network and introduction of online university education may bring members of the SEACO and D8 countries closer together to pull their educational resources to facilitate greater access to the students of the member countries to avail the opportunities for higher education at affordable cost. SEACO Foundation members also informed the meeting that they have already in touch with Brunei, Malaysia and Maldives for the purpose and all these three countries assured their fullest support to this initiative.
The D-8 Commission personnel informed the SEACO Foundation members that they will consider this proposal seriously and work together for materializing this initiative in the near future.
