The week started off with a visit to the University in Chittagong where Dr Katja Lasch, Director, and Aditi Gosavi, Senior Advisor – Communications visited the University of Chittagong and provided information to students and faculty of the university about higher education and research opportunities as well as DAAD funding schemes. Similar information was shared with the students of German language at Die Sprache, the German language institute established and run by Jayanta Chowdhury in Chittagong.

This was followed by an interactive information session at the South Asian University for Women. The university is also hosting 24 women scholars from Afghanistan funded by the German Academic Exchange (DAAD) to complete their education. The lively discussions throughout the day had students and faculty showing a high interest to connect with Germany.

Once in Dhaka, team DAAD had meetings with the Deputy Ambassador Jan Janowski and the Director of the Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, an organisation that also hosts the DAAD Information Point Dhaka.

The next day had the team visit the University Grants Commission Bangladesh for a meeting to discuss the possibility of future cooperation with the DAAD and German universities in matters of common interest such as research and communication. The next stop was North South University, the DAAD’s partner together with in the first ever Falling Walls Lab Bangladesh. After final discussions of the upcoming event, team DAAD from India as well as Bangladesh that included Mahmudul Hasan Suman, had a dinner meeting with representatives of the German Embassy, GIZ, Friedrich Naumann Foundation and Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

The weekend was rounded off with a reception for board representatives of Germany alumni in Bangladesh where the President Dr Anwar Zahid and Secretary General Dr Nazmus Sadath were present with others.

DAAD ASND

The Falling Walls Lab Bangladesh took place on Monday, 3 September, the report of which is available here.