Prof. Dr. Abdul Awal Khan
Vice Chancellor, International Standard University (ISU)

The Daily Star (TDS): What makes your university the ideal choice for prospective students?

Abdul Awal Khan (AAK): International Standard University aims to provide social service through quality education with moral values. This university strives to achieve excellence as a seat of learning through devotion, hard work, and sincerity.

We have worked almost around the clock to ensure remarkable progress during the period of the impasse. With tremendous support and commitment from the Board of Trustees (BOT) and academic and administrative members, we have explored and created various ways to continue fostering innovation and quality in education and research. This has been achieved through collaborations with diverse industries and authorities, such as the Standard Group Ltd, University Grants Commission (UGC), Bangladesh Accreditation Council (BAC), and associated academic institutions, as well as several corporate institutions. We have retained and developed the university's capacity to invest in students, teaching, and research activities.

TDS: Share details about the teaching staff, programs, and courses tailored to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in today's dynamic job market. How do these approaches contribute to upholding and enhancing the quality of education at your university?

AAK: We support and nurture the careers and well-being of students by creating extensive platforms for career progression and development to maximize their capabilities. We stimulate outstanding research and innovation that fully supports the well-being of students.

Our faculty members are well-qualified, having higher degrees from top-ranked universities at home and abroad. They are innovative and understand the dynamics of changing times.

The curriculum, the backbone of the courses in each department, has been developed to promote critical thinking and openness, enabling students to learn. It provides them with the required knowledge and skills to tackle the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and gives them the confidence and skills to continue to adapt.

The university has made successful and active collaborations with a range of corporate houses. This helps our students enhance their capacity in the right direction and apply their acquired knowledge and skills for career development.

The campus is fully equipped with modern technology, enabling both students and faculty members to access the best lab facilities, libraries, and journals to stay updated.

The university has established the Center for Research, Development, and Publications (CRDP) to facilitate faculty members in producing cutting-edge scholarly research on national and global scales.

The university has founded the Center for Higher Studies and Career Development (CHSCD), which provides job opportunities for current students who are financially weak and may not qualify for a scholarship or fee waiver that would allow them to pursue their studies unhindered.

Students seeking admission to private universities often try to find the right one that will provide quality education in their desired discipline at a cost their guardians can bear. At ISU, we ensure both in a student-friendly environment, well cared for by the authority.

Female students prefer ISU because (i) they are ensured a safe environment on campus, and (ii) they are also offered a 10% additional waiver on their tuition fees.

Moreover, most of the programs are designed so that graduates can adapt to real-life situations in the industry. Many courses are taught by faculty members with industrial backgrounds. Additionally, the provision of lab facilities and internship programs before graduation helps familiarize ISU graduates with the industrial environment. Frequent industrial visits are also arranged for students in Business, Science, and Engineering.

TDS: Can you tell us about the university's research facilities?

AAK: ISU is currently undertaking policy-oriented research in the spheres of business, development, literature, computing, clothing and textiles, and environmental issues. The research activities include baseline research and consultancies designed to be funded by various public and private agencies, as well as development organizations. The university collaborates with reputable agencies based in Bangladesh and other parts of the world.

In doing so, ISU maintains local and global collaborations with a wide range of scholarly academics and industries. Additionally, ISU focuses on a range of research topics, including socio-economic development, food security, sustainable development, artificial intelligence, innovative human management processes, and the socio-economic impact of COVID-19.

ISU motivates academic staff and students to engage in research activities beyond their academic responsibilities. Thus, the university has created platforms at both national and international levels with leading scholars, universities, and relevant industries. In doing so, it establishes a theoretical and practical foundation for a high standard of education and research.

The university has produced three scholarly journals: the Journal of Business and Development Studies (JBDS), the Journal of English Studies (JES), the Journal of Law, and the Journal of Engineering and Technology (JET). These journals facilitate faculty members and students in publishing cutting-edge research works.