Launching of Investment Management, the first in the academia

LAUNCHING OF INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT , THE FIRST IN THE ACADEMIA

After almost two(2) years of development , the Investment Management Course as a major in the BBA and a minor in BSS Economics and BBA major in Economics only. The course was deemed important in view of the need of the country to create a conducive business climate. The academia was identified as a vital venue to learn and understand the rudiments, issues and imperatives of investing in business through the course on Investment Management. Towards this end, the American International University – Bangladesh (AIUB) was chosen by the Bangladesh Investment Climate Fund (BICF) as one of the five (5) universities to develop and implement the course. The support provided by the BICF which is managed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC)of World Bank in partnership with the Department of International Development (DFID) of UK and the European Union (EU) made this effort possible to offer a new course on investment management. The Launching Program was held in Campus 1 Auditorium of the university on 25 May 2011 at 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon anchored on three (3) objectives: 1) to create awareness and understanding of the nature of the course, 2) to convey to the potential students the value and prospects of taking the course for their future career, 3) to provide overview of the investment climate of Bangladesh for better appreciation by the students, faculty and other stakeholders. There were three (3) speakers invited to discuss the importance and prospects of investment management for students taking the course. Mr. Tanjil Azam Chowdhury, Chief Executive Officer of EC Securities Ltd. who on behalf of the corporate expounded on the need for graduates seeking employment to have functional knowledge of the current and future state of investment climate of the country. The two other speakers are from the BICF, Ms. Laura Watson, Senior Private Sector Development Specialist and Mr. Shihab Ansari Azhar, Stakeholder Engagement Advisory Services in South Asia, who both underscored the importance of producing professionals who can influence future investors and the appropriate management of investments. They also acknowledged the significant role of AIUB in partnering with the BICF in making Climate Fund Project a success in the university. They assured the university that BICF will continue to provide assistance in providing resource materials and expertise while the course is on-going until the new batch of graduates can be produced. The honorable Vice Chancellor, Dr. Carmen Z. Lamagna delivered the Statement of Purpose and Rationale of the Launching. She informed the students of some requirements of the course and also informed the students that they will receive special arrangement for their internship being the first batch of students. Dr. Lamagna also expressed thanks to BICF for the continuous trust and support to the undertakings of the university. She also recognized the invaluable support of the ICRU and Project Team for their dedication and diligence. The Pro Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Anwar Hossain was also present to wholeheartedly welcome all the participants composed of speakers, guests, students, faculty, key officials of AIUB and other stakeholders. As a sign of appreciation and gratitude to the speakers, they were presented a Certificate of Appreciation and souvenirs by the Vice Chancellor. The program ended with a vote of thanks expressed by the Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration, Prof. Dr. Charles C. Villanueva.