BRAC University marks 17th Convocation

BRAC University held its 17th Convocation at the Merul Badda campus on Thursday, under the theme “Make the Difference”. 

This year, 2,055 students from 34 programmes received their degrees, with 2 awarded the Chancellor’s Gold Medal and 28 receiving the Vice-Chancellor’s Gold Medal, divided equally between 14 undergraduates and 14 postgraduates.

Adviser to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan attended the event as the chief guest and handed over the Chancellor’s Gold Medal.

He urged graduates to consider politics as a career, emphasising the need for skilled, honest leaders to drive positive change in the country.

“In a country of 180 million, there is only one Nobel Laureate. We have none in fields like medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, or economics. I urge teachers to plant this dream in the minds of our students,” he said.

Convocation speaker Adam Habib, vice-chancellor of SOAS University of London and former anti-apartheid leader, told graduates that their future rests on their own choices and efforts. 

He urged graduates to act with confidence and cultivate the strength and influence needed to shape the world they envision.

On the occasion, BRAC University Vice-Chancellor Prof Syed Farhat Anwar presented the Vice-Chancellor’s Gold Medal.

He urged graduates to apply their skills for human welfare and societal betterment, emphasising that each individual’s unique abilities can drive progress. 

Tamara Hasan Abed, chairperson of the Board of Trustees, in a speech read by Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Arshad Mahmud Chowdhury, emphasised that the world now needs greater understanding and connection and that identity should serve as a force for unity, not division.

UGC Member Prof M Anwar Hossen also attended the event.

This year’s valedictorian speech was delivered by Chancellor’s Gold Medallist Rana Tabassum, while postgraduate student Umme Jannat Taposi also received the prestigious award.

The programme united graduates, faculty, and guests in a celebratory setting, showcasing the university’s achievements and future aspirations.

The reporter can be reached at [email protected]

Edited by Mehedi Hasan