CHITTAGONG INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITY

CHITTAGONG INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITY

CHITTAGONG INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITY

The Corporate Talk: A Signature Platform for Corporate-Academia Collaboration

With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, in the face of a rapidly changing global scenario or to respond to the looming economic meltdown, corporate houses continually look for executives possessing leadership attributes that can help them to cope with the pervasiveness of the changes.

The B-schools around the world thus hone their curriculum to foster the intellectual nimbleness, social dexterity, learning agility, and business acumen, thereby growing 360-degree leadership among their students. The academia-industry collaboration is believed to play a vital role in acquainting the students with the down-to-earth experience of the corporate world; as such, it is now highly emphasized and embedded in the academic programs of the advanced business schools.
 
The CIU Business School, with this end in view, has been organizing “The Corporate Talk”—a signature event of the school—since 2016. A large number of renowned industrialists and corporate leaders of the country have participated so far in the series as the keynote speakers. The event has gained wide popularity and applause from across the cohort learners and the stakeholders, as well as the corporate houses of Bangladesh.
Milestones of The Corporate Talk
1st Edition: Voice of an Entrepreneur
The 1st ever Corporate Talk was held on September 29, 2016, at CIU in association with Royal Cement Ltd., one of the leading cement producers of the country. Titled “CIU-Royal Cement Corporate Talk,” the episode was graced by eminent industrialist Mr. Aamier Alihussain, Managing Director of BSRM Group of Companies.
 
 
 
 
 

The succeeding episode of the series, titled “CIU-Royal Cement Corporate Talk,” was held on November 12, 2016, where the philanthropist, industrialist, and entrepreneur Sufi Mohamed Mizanur Rahman, Chairman of PHP Family, was present as the key speaker.

 

The 3rd episode of the series, titled “CIU-Royal Cement Corporate Talk,” was held on January 21, 2017, at the CIU Auditorium. The Corporate Affairs Director of Nestle Bangladesh Ltd., Mr. Naquib Khan, remained present as the key speaker and lent his voice.
 

 

The 4th episode of the series was graced by Mr. Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, Managing Director and CEO of Robi Axiata Ltd.—Robi’s first homegrown CEO. Titled “CIU-Robi Axiata Ltd. Corporate Talk,” the episode was held on March 8, 2017.
 

 

The 5th round of the series was held on July 5, 2017, under the auspices of the CIU Intrinsic Finance Club, a student-oriented club under the Department of Finance and Economics of the CIU Business School. The Rotary Club of Chittagong Mid City was the strategic partner in this episode.
However, it was addressed by Mr. Kayesh Chowdhury, Executive Vice President, Area Head of Chittagong-Corporate, The City Bank Limited, as the keynote speaker, along with Professor Shahedur Rahman, Dept. of Accounting, Finance, and MIS, Prairie View A&M University. The USA was present as the special guest in it.
 

The 6th episode of the Corporate Talk series was held on September 18, 2018, at CIU Auditorium. It was graced by one of the leading entrepreneurs of the country, Mr. Nader Khan, Managing Director, Pedrollo NK Limited, as well as the Hon’ble CIU Trustee, as the keynote speaker.  

The 7th Corporate Talk was held on March 5, 2019, addressed by Mr. Syed Mohammed Tanvir, Director, Pacific Jeans Group, as well as a promising young entrepreneur of the Ready-made Garment (RMG) sector.
 

 

The 8th Corporate Talk titled “Voice of an Insurer” was held on October 16, 2019, attended by Ms. Farzanah Chowdhury, Chartered Insurer and Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Green Delta Insurance Company Limited, as the keynote speaker in it.
 

 

The 9th Corporate Talk, titled “Voice of a Corporate Magician,” was held on June 26, 2022, at CIU Auditorium. It was graced by Mr. Mominul Islam, MD & CEO of IPDC Finance Ltd., as the key speaker. Amongst others, Mr. Rizwan Dawood Shams, AMD of IPDC; Anirban Sarkar, Cluster Head & Branch Manager of IPDC Finance; and a large number of business school students were also present.

 

The 10th Corporate Talk, organized by CIU Business School, was held on Thursday, November 17, 2022, at CIU Auditorium. It was graced by Mr. Zahir Uddin Ahmed, Managing Director, Confidence Cement Limited, as the key speaker. A large number of students, faculty members, and management staff took part in the event.
 

 

The 11th Corporate Talk, organized by CIU Business School, was held on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at CIU Auditorium. It was graced by Mr. Hafizur Rahman Khan, Chairman, Runner Automobiles PLC, and the pioneer of motorcycle manufacturers and exporters in the country. It was attended by a large audience, including faculty members, guests, and senior students.