Two-Day IEEE SCI Conference Begins at GUB with Focus on Sustainable Tech and Industry 5.0
The two-day 7th IEEE SCI International Conference has begun at the permanent campus of Green University of Bangladesh (GUB) in Purbachal American City, Rupganj, Narayanganj. The event is organized by the IEEE Computer Society Bangladesh Chapter.
The conference, themed on sustainable technologies in Industry 5.0, was inaugurated on Thursday morning, 11 December, by Shish Haydar Chowdhury, Secretary of the ICT Division.
Explaining the core philosophy of Industry 5.0 in his inaugural remarks, the ICT Secretary said, “The goal of technology is to empower people. Technology must accelerate human potential, not replace it.”
Calling Bangladesh “a nation standing on the horizon of advanced technologies,” he said the government aims to establish a digital ecosystem where universities, industries and government agencies collaborate to drive research and innovation.
In his words, “Without the tri-party synergy of academia, industry and government, technological transformation cannot be achieved.”
Signalling major changes in data protection and policy reforms, he added that the government is revising all relevant frameworks — including the National Data Protection Act, Cyber Security Policy, AI Policy, Blockchain Policy and Cloud Framework — to ensure digital safety and good governance nationwide.
He noted, “A sustainable digital economy requires strong data governance. Protecting user trust will be the biggest challenge ahead.”
Urging young people to engage in innovation and startups, the chief guest emphasized that the youth must be placed at the centre of technology development.
He said, “We want universities to become innovation hubs. Students should not only learn but also create technologies, build startups and compete globally.”
He added that the government’s iDEA Project, Startup Bangladesh, DEED Academy and Hi-Tech Parks are being increasingly opened up for university students. “If you have an idea, funding will not be a problem,” he assured.
The opening ceremony was presided over by GUB Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Sharif Uddin.
Among the attendees were Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, Chairman of the CSE Department, University of Dhaka, and Prof Dr Md Saiful Azad, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at GUB.
IEEE Bangladesh Section Chair Dr M Imam Ul Islam Bhuiyan joined virtually.
“Technological progress is impossible without sustainable energy,” said Prof Dr Imam Ul Hasan Bhuiyan, adding that AI, robotics and IoT all rely heavily on energy. He added that the rapid advancement of young Bangladeshi researchers is opening new global possibilities.
Emphasizing human-centric industrial development, Prof Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque said, “Industry 5.0 places humans at the centre — where technology enhances creativity, skills and safety.”
He identified digital twins, semantic communication, robotics and energy-efficient technologies as key future research areas.
Conference Organizing Chair Prof Dr Md Saiful Azad shared that STI 2025 received a record 434 submissions — the highest in its history. After review by six reviewers, including three international experts, only 118 papers were accepted, reflecting an acceptance rate of just 27%. He said this demonstrates the conference’s uncompromising commitment to research quality.
Since 2019, researchers and industry experts from more than 60 countries have participated in the STI conference, and its published papers have accumulated over 2,000 citations.
At the end of the ceremony, GUB Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Shafiur Rahman presented a crest to the chief guest. Organizers expressed hope that SCI will soon become South Asia’s most influential technology research conference, highlighting that the future of industry will be human-centric, sustainable and resilient — extending far beyond traditional automation and digitalization.
The event organizers also announced that this year’s conference features participation from over 32 countries, hosted by Green University of Bangladesh and managed by the IEEE Computer Society Bangladesh Chapter.
DBTech/IH/MUM/OR
