Gazipur, October 20-21, 2025 – The Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) Project, in collaboration with the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC) and Bangladesh Research and Education Network (BdREN), successfully organized a two-day residential workshop at Sarah Resort Ltd., Rajabari, Rajendrapur, Sreepur, Gazipur on October 20-21, 2025. The workshop brought together ICT and IICT Heads/Directors from universities across Bangladesh to align beneficiary institutions with HEAT project's strategic goals, particularly focusing on IT infrastructure, ICT development, and campus network enhancement plans. Participants departed from UGC at 8:00 AM on the first day, reaching the resort around 9:30 AM to begin an intensive two-day program of presentations, discussions, and hands-on technical demonstrations.

The first day centered on "Aligning the Beneficiaries with the Project Deliverables," with Professor Dr. Asaduzzaman (Project Director, HEAT) delivering the keynote presentation, supported by addresses from Professor Khurshid Alam (Deputy Project Director), Professor Salina Zaman (Chief Program Co-Ordinator), Professor Dr. Mohammed Shafiul Alam Khan (Wing Manager and BdREN Technical Specialist), and Mohammad Tawrit (CEO, BdREN). ICT Directors from Dhaka University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, and Patuakhali Science and Technology University presented their current ICT infrastructure situations, limitations, and challenges, fostering productive discussions about implementation strategies. The second day focused on "Advanced Labs Without Walls," featuring keynote and demonstrations by BdREN's Khandakar Rashedul Arefin (General Manager, Systems & Services), Jamilur Rahman (Manager, Systems & Cloud), and Abu Naser Md. Nafew (Manager, Innovation) on Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and AI Infrastructure. The hands-on session allowed university ICT directors to experience cloud-based laboratory solutions firsthand, demonstrating how institutions can provide world-class computing facilities to students and researchers without extensive physical infrastructure investments. 

This comprehensive two-day workshop successfully achieved its objectives of familiarizing university ICT leadership with HEAT project deliverables and demonstrating innovative solutions for modern educational infrastructure. The combination of strategic alignment discussions, knowledge sharing about ground realities, and hands-on experience with advanced technologies created a strong foundation for effective project implementation across beneficiary institutions.