P R E S S C O V E R A G E
The Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE) Centre of the University of Dhaka organised Bijoy Dibosh-2020 Virtual CMSMEs Divisional Mentorship Programme from 21 to 24 December.
Designed for the CMSMEs of the different districts of Bangladesh, a total of 64 hour (8 hour per division) of virtual mentorship was arranged in this programme. Day-long mentorship programme for each division covered issues, such as
- Marketing, supply chain management, and technology
- Legal, governance, and documentation
- Strategy, diversity, and mental health
- Finance, accounts, and stimulus
The event was composed of four sessions. The centre held the first session from 9:30am to 1:30pm on 21 December for entrepreneurs from Rangpur and Rajshahi division; the second session at the same time on 22 December for entrepreneurs from Barisal and Khulna division; the third session from 2:30pm to 6:30pm on 23 December for entrepreneurs from Sylhet and Chattogram; and the fourth session at the same time in the afternoon on 24 December for entrepreneurs from Mymensingh and Dhaka.
CMSMEs got the opportunities to interact with experts from government, banks, financial institutions, industries, academicians, and other relevant stakeholders and receive their valuable insights and experiences.
This mentorship programme was a part of the REVIVE Project of the ICE Centre, DU — implemented in partnership with the UNDP. Project brief and profile of the ICE center is attached below.
REVIVE Project:
The Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (ICE) Centre of the University of Dhaka is implementing a project in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bangladesh named REVIVE, to respond to the COVID-19 affected CMSMEs Cottage, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises of Bangladesh. The objective of the project is to listen to the stories of the CMSMEs, provide advisory, training, and mentorship services to selected CMSMEs to assist revive their business and share the findings with the policymakers and other important stakeholders for effective policy decision and implementation. The project focuses on three following objectives.
- Objective 1: Confidence building and advisory services (target audience: CMSMEs in Bangladesh)
- Objective 2: Facilitating effective policy formulation (target audience: Policymakers associated with CMSMEs Sector)
- Objective 3: Strengthening the supply chain network (target audience: Enterprises associated with the supply chain network)
Activities to achieve the target:
Mentoring and Advisory Services
- Listening to stories of the CMSMEs across the country, having 64 interns focusing on each district
- Provide with counselling and advisory services
- Help connect with the stimulus packages of the Government and other institutions
- Customised mentorship (Live streaming on strategies, team, legal, governance, IT, finance and accounts, marketing, mental health and mindset, etc.)
Training on Entrepreneurial Skills and Strategy
- ToT (Training of Trainers) for CMSMEs Facilitators
- Trainings focusing and divisions and industries
- Training on Soft Skills and Stakeholder Management for regulators (District preference will be given.)
- Capacity building initiatives on Soft Skills and Stakeholder Management for professionals from different industrial/economic sectors to strengthen the supply chain network
Sensitisation and awareness raising sessions
- Webinars (divisional webinars with special focus on important sectors; webinars with key policy makers; webinar with enterprises associated with the supply chain network)
- One “National Online Summit for CMSMEs”
Working papers and Briefs
- Working papers with divisional focus and Pilot SME Mapping and Roadmap
- Weekly briefs
The Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship (ICE) Center – University of Dhaka
Introduction: The Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship (ICE) Centre of the University of Dhaka was established in 10 September, 2018 with a vision to be the leading architect towards building an innovation-driven entrepreneurial Bangladesh.
Mission: The overall mission of the ICE Centre is to be a centre of excellence towards an effective Innovation, Creativity, and Entrepreneurial (ICE) Ecosystem in Bangladesh through developing innovation-driven enterprises that will address various socio-economic challenges and opportunities; provide policy supports to regulators and policy makers; and conduct research, training, advocacy, and awareness programmes on Innovation, Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and Employability (ICEe).
Interventions: The ICE Centre focuses on 4Ps (Persons, Programmes, Policy, and Platforms). The specific intervening areas of the centre are:
1. Person: Developing Innovation Driven Entrepreneurs (IDEs) in Bangladesh through Incubation and Acceleration Programmes of innovative and creative ideas and initiatives
2. Programmes: Enabling an effective innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship (ICE) ecosystem through advocacy and awareness programmes
3. Policy: Conducting research and developing policy briefs and working papers etc on ICEe
4. Platform: Enabling an interdisciplinary platform of relevant stakeholders to share and disseminate knowledge, best practices and take collective
Aim: Establishing a modern, technology-driven, iconic physical and virtual infrastructure in Bangladesh to ensure that the ideas generated, people inspired and nurtured, concept and policy documents prepared, business model and new businesses incubated and accelerated from the ICE center under the project have a positive impact on addressing various socio-economic challenges of the country.
GUIDE: The Philosophical Foundation
The ICE centre, the first collaborative efforts of Government, University, Industries, and Development Entities (GUIDE) in Bangladesh believe that an effective collaboration and efforts among relevant stakeholders is key for an entrepreneurial and developed Bangladesh. Therefore, in all its activities and initiatives, ICE Centre tries to ensure participation of Government, University, Industries and Development Entities (GUIDE).
People: The centre, chaired by the Honourable Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dhaka, has an Executive Board comprising 19 members from GUIDE, a distinguished advisory panel and interdisciplinary faculties and students.
Month Long 2nd Anniversary Celebrations Initiatives of ICE Centre:
Training of Trainers; Webinars; Workshops; Mentorship Programs; Internship; Essay Competition; Innovation and Creativity Showcases; and ICE Summit.
The Executive Board comprises members from the university, government, industry; experts; and advisory panel.
Interdisciplinary Team
A group of foreign trained interdisciplinary faculties has been involved at the center’s activities on different capacities. A strong network of DU alumni studying and working outside the countries including South Korea, USA, UK, Australia, Japan, Germany, and others has also committed to work with the center towards building an innovation driven entrepreneurial Bangladesh.