August 20, 2015 – The second session of IROP for EDGE-QREC has been completed with a commendable presentation ceremony on August 17, 2015. The program has been conducted by Global Communication Center (GCC) of Grameen Communications in collaboration with Enhancing Development of Global Entrepreneur (EDGE) Program under the Robert T. Huang Entrepreneurship Center of Kyushu University, Japan. Twenty Japanese students and faculty members who visited Bangladesh under the program have carried out their research activities in the areas of medical services and nutrition & food safety of Bangladesh.

The participants have conducted their research activities including interactive interviews and discussion sessions with the villagers, local government representatives and responsible authorities throughout their five days stay (August 11 – 15, 2015) at the village of Bhomradaha, Thakurgaon.

On the opening day, the team attended an Orientation Ceremony held at Gramen Bank Auditorium. The members learnt about the project activities and got necessary information required to research in Bangladesh. After the session, the team had a meeting with Nobel Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus at Yunus Centre. Prof. Yunus shared his valuable thoughts and message about what he expects the young people to do. On the other part of the day, the participants moved to the University of Dhaka to attend a workshop on “Entrepreneurship Development in Bangladesh” where professors from the Faculty of Business Studies and few young entrepreneurs shared their views and experience on entrepreneurship. A contract between the EDGE Program of Kyushu University and the Faculty of Business Studies of University of Dhaka was also signed to carry out some joint initiatives. The team moved for village research on the next day.

During the village trip, the team visited the Union Health Complex and the local medicine shops in the market. There they observed the facilities and interviewed the doctors, health professionals, patients and shopkeepers. They also observed the GramHealth health checkup and blood grouping program held during the visit by a team of GCC. Some conversation with the teachers and interaction with the students of Bhomradaha Primary and Secondary School were also held during their visit there. At the later part, the students interviewed some families with different income levels.

On the final day, the presentation ceremony commenced with a welcome note from Dr. Kazi Rafiqul Islam Maruf (Consultant, GCC). Afterwards, the participants presented the social issues they worked on and their proposition for solution along with the probable business models. The active participation of external guests including Ms. Niru Shamsun Nahar (Principal, Grameen Caledonian College of Nursing) and Mr. Mahbubul Haque (Deputy General Manager, Grameen Health Care Services Ltd.) and the internal members Mr. Khandoker Abu Abedeen (Deputy General Manager, GC), Gouri Shankar Sarkar (DGM, GC), Mr. Sudhan Chandra Barman (DGM, GC) and Mr. Ataur Rahman (Senior Manager, GC) made the question-answer session more effective for the participants. Finally, a certificate of participation was handed over to each of the participants with the presence of GC-GCC officials and external guests.