Int‘l Education Conference opens at AUST, experts call for tech-driven education reform

The call came at the inaugural session of the three-day International Conference on Knowledge Integration and Educational Leadership (ICKIEL-2026), held on Saturday morning at the Prof. Dr. M. H. Khan Auditorium of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST) in the capital.

AUST, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) and the Bangladesh Institute of Islamic Thought (BIIT) are jointly organising the conference.

Addressing the inaugural session as the chief guest, USIM Vice-Chancellor Professor Dato’ TS Dr Sharifudin bin Md. Sharani said Bangladesh was one of the Muslim world’s most resource-rich countries in terms of human capital. However, he noted that transforming its population into a genuine national asset would require an integrated education system combining science, advanced technology and ethical values.

He said a balanced and capable workforce could be developed by equipping graduates and professionals with expertise in modern technologies and artificial intelligence while ensuring the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge derived from the Quran and Sunnah.

The session featured speeches by Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A. B. M. Obaidul Islam and Bangladesh Accreditation Council Chairman Professor Dr Md. Akhtar Hossain as distinguished special guests.

Delivering the keynote paper online, titled Knowledge Integration and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Professor Dr Omar Hasan K. Kasule Sr., chief executive of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) in the United States and a Harvard researcher, explored the relationship between knowledge integration and the transformative changes associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The inaugural session was chaired by Professor Dr Muhammad Fazli Elahi, former vice-chancellor of the Islamic University of Technology (IUT) and AUST, and Distinguished Fellow of BIIT.

A welcome address was delivered by Professor Dr Mohammad Sarwar Morshed, director of AUST’s Extension Services Centre, while Professor Abdul Aziz, director-general of BIIT, delivered the inaugural address.

Other speakers at the opening session included AUST Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md. Ashraful Haque, Vice-Chancellor of International Islamic University Chittagong (IIUC) Professor Dr Mohammad Ali Azadi, and USIM Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Dato’ Dr Nik Salida Suhaila binti Nik Saleh, representing the co-organisers and strategic partners.

The speakers observed that the world was advancing rapidly amid the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the growing influence of AI and the expanding importance of cybersecurity. They argued that Bangladesh must overcome recurring setbacks in its development journey since gaining independence in 1971 by promoting practical, industry-relevant education, fostering the creation of new knowledge and strengthening educational leadership.

According to the organisers, the three-day conference has brought together researchers, academics, policymakers and vice-chancellors from at least 15 countries, including Bangladesh, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Türkiye, Nigeria, India and Pakistan.

Around 100 research papers are expected to be presented during the conference. Discussions will also examine international education models, including Malaysia’s Integrated Education, Türkiye’s Maarif Model and Indonesia’s Merdeka Curriculum, with a focus on their approaches to educational development and reform.

Following the inaugural ceremony, several academic sessions were held on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), education policy reform, food innovation and epistemology.

The conference will continue until October 19. On the concluding day, Monday, October 19, Dr A. N. M. Ehsanul Hoque Milon, MP, Education Minister of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, is scheduled to attend as the chief guest.