IUB's Ive Sithi Chambugong to represent Bangladesh at Int'l Gold Event in Nigeria

Ive Sithi Chambugong, an undergraduate student of Biochemistry and Biotechnology at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), will represent Bangladesh at the International Gold Event (IGE) and Forum 2025 in Lagos, Nigeria, from November 16-22, 2025. She is a DEA Gold Award Holder and the first elected female President of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award at IUB (DEA IUB). 

She will participate with a USD 3,000 funding from the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation (IAF). Mr. Rizwan Bin Farouq, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Foundation Bangladesh (DEA Bangladesh), will also attend the Forum as an official delegate.

Ive, from Madhupur, Tangail, and the younger of two sisters, completed her secondary education at Madhupur Rani Bhabani Government High School and her higher secondary studies at YWCA Higher Secondary School, Dhaka. She is studying at IUB on a 100% scholarship as a student from an ethnic community. 

Recognized for leadership and campus engagement at IUB, she was ranked 16th among 360 Campus Ambassadors nationwide in the National STEAM Olympiad Bangladesh, and contributed to the student-led Team BloodBridge Project, which received World Bank funding through the University Innovation Hub Programme (UIHP). She is currently undertaking a research internship in Computer-Aided Drug Design at Biolab.

At the International Gold Event (IGE), she will be the only participant from Bangladesh. The IGE brings together Gold Award Holders from 55 countries and provides training, workshops, and networking opportunities to equip young leaders to implement Award-related projects and community initiatives. Following the IGE, she will participate in the Forum, where leaders from the global Award network engage in strategic planning, cross-cultural collaboration, and discussions to guide the future direction of the Award.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Foundation Bangladesh manages 125 Award Centres nationwide to provide young people with opportunities in leadership, confidence-building, and community engagement. DEA IUB, one of these Centres, has 212 Awardees and 800 general members and delivers non-formal education and experiential learning programs in line with the Award’s objectives.