Transforming Students into Digital-Age Decision Makers

Launched in 2002 with 62 students, the BBA program grew rapidly to 2,361 by 2015. Like many institutions worldwide, the program experienced a downturn in 2020, with enrolment declining to 1,849 students due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, the program has demonstrated strong resilience, as enrolments for 2025 rebounding to 2,321 students, a 20% increase that signals a solid recovery and sustained demand.

Today, the programme operates with a student–faculty ratio of approximately 32:1 and accommodates up to 900 new students annually across three structured intakes.

"Entrepreneurship is a growing focus, strengthened by interactions with industry leaders such as Nazrul Islam Helali, Chairman of Golden Trade Int. BD, and Tania Sharmin, CEO of Trust Regional Equity Ltd. Their candid accounts of challenges and success have inspired students to develop business ideas, join competitions, and pursue entrepreneurial training."

— DR Md. Azizur Rahman Associate Professor and Associate Head Department of Business Administration Daffodil International University

The Daily Star (TDS): When was the BBA programme launched and how has enrollment changed since then?

Md. Azizur Rahman (MAR): The BBA started in 2002 and experienced very strong early expansion — +97% by 2010 — reflecting heavy initial demand. Growth slowed to +9% by 2015, the intake dropped sharply during the COVID shock (−28% in 2020) and then recovered with +20% by 2025, showing the programme's vulnerability to external shocks but also its resilience and market relevance as demand rebounded.

TDS: How many first-year seats do you offer and what is the student–faculty situation?

MAR: The programme is sized to admit 900 first-year students (roughly 300 per semester). Reported student–faculty ratios for fall 2025 are 32.48.

TDS: What is the department's core teaching philosophy?

MAR: The school deliberately balances theory, industry input and experiential learning. Core management theory is taught alongside case studies, industry visits, simulations and micro-credentials co-developed with corporate partners so graduates leave with practical, demonstrable skills rather than only academic knowledge. This blend is framed to make classroom learning directly applicable to employers' needs.

TDS: How is technology and emerging skill training embedded in the curriculum?

MAR: The curriculum now embeds programming, cybersecurity and AI for business across tracks so students learn managerial thinking plus digital literacy. This hybrid approach trains students both to make data-driven decisions and to recognise digital risks which is a competitive differentiator in today's job market.

TDS: What practical learning opportunities do students get in your department?

MAR: Practical learning includes industry-academia lectures, business simulations, live client projects, site visits and micro-credentials (e.g., in digital marketing and data analytics). These activities are designed to convert classroom theory into workplace practice and to generate portfolio pieces that students can show to recruiters.

TDS: How extensive are the department's industry partnerships and internship pipelines?

A: The faculty maintains 40+ corporate partnerships and MoUs that create internship pipelines, placements, joint research and live business challenges. These ties also enable credit transfers, dual-degree pathways and applied projects with companies — a primary route from campus to job.

TDS: What global exposure is available to students?

MAR: Students can access about 100 partner universities worldwide, including the Erasmus programme and roughly 70 European, 10 South Korean, 7 Malaysian and 7 Japanese partner institutions, giving rich exchange and mobility options for academic and cultural immersion.

TDS: How is faculty quality evolving like teachers with PhDs, full-time hires and international credentials?

MAR: There's a deliberate push to strengthen academic depth: PhD-qualified faculty are projected to rise from 29.17% (2022) to 74.29% (2027). Full-time faculty are expected to grow from 61.54% (2022) to 79.55% (2027), and faculty with foreign degrees from 34.62% (2022) to 71.59% (2027) — showing investment in research capacity and international experience among teachers.

TDS: Which new courses and facilities will define the next academic year?

MAR: Key additions include Financial Data Analytics, Predictive Analysis using Financial Disclosure, and Marketing Analytics & Decision Making, plus a dedicated Financial Lab to simulate trading and support market-research projects which are all intended to sharpen students' quantitative and data-driven decision skills.

TDS: What should BBA students prioritise now, and how should employers spot job-ready graduates?

MAR: Students should prioritise (1) analytical fluency — Excel plus basic programming and analytics; (2) real projects — internships or live client work that produce deliverables; and (3) clear communication — concise reports and presentations. Employers should look for concrete outcomes (completed live projects, relevant micro-credentials and substantive internship roles) rather than résumé buzzwords.