IUB to host International Conference on Economics, Business and Technology Management 2025
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The School of Business and Entrepreneurship (SBE) at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) will host the International Conference on Economics, Business and Technology Management (ICEBTM 2025) on November 14–15, 2025, at The Westin Dhaka.
Themed “Sustainability-Focused Industry Trends in Global Research,” the conference aims to foster dialogue among academics, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders on emerging global trends in business, technology, and sustainable development, said Prof. Raisul Awal Mahmood, Acting Dean of SBE, at a press conference held at the IUB Faculty and Management Lounge on Tuesday.
The two-day event will feature five keynote speeches, eight industry talks, three invited speaker sessions, 25 parallel sessions, and two academia–industry panel discussions, Prof. Mahmood, also the Honorary General Chair of the conference, he added.
Over 300 participants from more than 12 countries — including the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, India, Poland, and the UAE — are expected to attend, said Prof. Dr. Md. Mamun Habib, General Chair of ICEBTM 2025.
Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman, Executive Chairman of the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) and Chairperson of Brac, will attend as the Chief Guest and deliver a keynote presentation.
Didar A. Husain, Chairman of IUB’s Board of Trustees, will grace the closing ceremony as Chief Guest.
Other keynote speakers include Prof. Jonathan Liu (UK), Prof. Rajah Rasiah (Malaysia), Prof. Dr. Maniam Kaliannan (Malaysia), and Dr. Ahmad Ahsan, Director of the Policy Research Institute (PRI), Bangladesh, said Dr. Habib, also Head of the Department of Management at IUB.
Eight prominent industry leaders will join the industry talks, including Syed Nasim Manzur, Managing Director of Apex Footwear Ltd and Director & Sponsor of Guardian Life Insurance Ltd; Niaz Rahim, Group Managing Director of Rahimafrooz; and A. Matin Chowdhury, Managing Director of New Asia Group.
Dr. Habib said ICEBTM 2025 will also feature a PhD colloquium, networking sessions with journal editors and leading scholars, and discussions on key issues such as artificial intelligence, fintech, supply chain resilience, green business, entrepreneurship, and sustainable technology.
All peer-reviewed accepted papers will be published in the conference proceedings (ISBN 978-35-5270-9), while selected extended papers will be considered for publication in WoS/Scopus-indexed journals and book chapters with Taylor & Francis and Springer Nature, he added.
Through this international scholarly platform, IUB’s SBE aims to strengthen academia–industry collaboration and promote research-driven solutions for sustainable global development, said Dr. Habib.
Prof. M. Tamim, Vice-Chancellor of IUB, said that considering Bangladesh’s current economic situation, such a business conference is highly significant.
“We have been facing prolonged inflation. This conference aims to find solutions — as monitoring policy alone is not enough to combat the current inflationary challenges,” he said.
“It will also help address the human resources deficit and find better logistics solutions, which are the lifelines for export and import.”
He added, “We are also trying to present global best practices and learning to industries for their future technological and digital advancements.”
Niaz Rahim, Group Managing Director of Rahimafrooz, said there remains a wide gap between industry needs and academic support, expressing hope that the conference will help bridge that gap.
Syed Nasim Manzur, Managing Director of Apex Footwear Ltd, said that as Bangladesh moves toward LDC graduation, a clear strategy for a smooth transition is essential.
“Through this conference, we hope to see greater application of academic knowledge to industry needs,” he added.
He noted that Bangladesh’s investment in research and development (R&D) remains one of the lowest globally. “In the USA, R&D investment is encouraged through tax rebates — we hope the new National Board of Revenue will consider such incentives,” he said.
Mr. Manzur added that Bangladesh’s productivity is 25–30 percent lower than that of its competitors, stressing that solutions should come from within the country.
“Large factories are performing better, but smaller ones struggle to survive due to limited capacity to adopt new technologies. Labour costs are also increasing, which adds further pressure given the current economic conditions.”
Md. Amin-Ul Huda Rabbi, DGM (HR and Admin) at New Asia Group, also spoke at the event.