Muhammad Rashedul Islam: Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CHUTE) is the only higher education institution of engineering education and research in the southeastern region of the country. Chuet, which started as an autonomous public university in 2003, entered the 21st year of its glorious journey today, Friday 01 September.
In just two decades, Chuet is one of the best engineering education and research universities in the country. As proof of which, the US-based world-renowned QS ranking has achieved enviable success twice in a row. It is ranked 401-450 among universities in Asia and 92nd best university in South Asia in the latest QS rankings published for 2024. In addition, Chuet has been ranked 5th among top 15 universities, 2nd best among engineering universities and 3rd best public university in the country.
This university is located in Unsattarpara Mauza, next to the Chittagong-Kaptai highway in Pahartali union of Raujan upazila of Chittagong district. Chuet Campus is situated on an area of about 171 acres in a picturesque natural hilly land, about 25 km from Bahaddarhat bus terminal in the north-east of Chittagong city and about 20 km from Kaptai road head.
This picturesque campus has a wonderful combination of hills, plains and lakes. Karnaphuli river, the only dry stream of the country flows within the area of only 5 km of the university. And just 33 kilometers east of an hour’s distance is Southeast Asia’s largest man-made freshwater lake, Kaptai. Being a plain/region along the banks of Kaptai Lake and Karnaphuli, the campus is blessed with natural beauty. In a small scale, you will find green nature, rows of trees, spring flowers, chirping of birds, natural lakes mixed with hills and plains, hilly high-low paths, free movement of wild animals, all beautiful infrastructures and structures in imitation of engineering.
The combination of Central Shaheed Minar, Independence Sculpture, Mural of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Mukta Manch, hanging bridge and small lake on the mountain path has brought unique charm to the scenic beauty of Chuet Campus. This is like a depiction of the entire delta of Bangladesh in 171 acres.
Despite its location in a rural town far away from the capital city and various limitations, Chuet has achieved many successes in higher education and research within a limited budget and has already won the praise of all at home and abroad. Organizing several international conferences-seminars-symposiums regularly every year, addition of world-class labs and equipments, groundbreaking innovations in robotic research, research related to Karnaphuli and Halda rivers, providing technical support and solutions to various industrial problems and earthquakes, traffic congestion, climate change and environmental pollution in Greater Chittagong. Research on issues of public importance, strong industry-academia collaboration, faculty-student exchange and joint research projects with foreign universities, regular publication of research articles in various reputed journals, formation of higher education-research agreements with various reputed universities and research institutes abroad and the vision of the government Following the implementation of Smart Bangladesh and Vision 2041, new effective initiatives are being considered as significant achievements of Chuet. Chuet is constantly working to meet the increasing demand of professional engineers for national development and socio-economic development and to expand engineering and technology education and research for public welfare. In addition, Chuet has been working since its inception to create appropriate human resources in the field of engineering and technology in order to coordinate with the demands of the global market and survive in global competition. Incidentally, in 1968 the educational program started as “Chittagong Engineering College” with only 3 departments and 120 students and later it was promoted as “Bangladesh Institute of Technology (BIT), Chittagong” in 1968.
The institution, which started as an autonomous public university on September 01, 2003, through a long struggle, emerged as an autonomous public university named “Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology”. At present, 4 thousand 500 people are studying at the undergraduate level and 1200 more at the postgraduate level, totaling 6 thousand students against 920 seats (total 931 seats including tribal quota) in 18 departments. At the same time, 333 teachers, 171 officers and 459 employees, including 101 Ph.D degree holders, are engaged in the vow to move Chuet forward as a happy family of about 1,000 people.
With the aim of creating successful entrepreneurs in the country’s information technology sector, encouraging research and innovation activities at the university level and further strengthening the industry-academia collaboration, the first “CHUET Sheikh Kamal IT Business Incubator” built at the university level in the country at a cost of about 118 crores. ‘ has added a new feather to Chuet’s streak of visible progress and success through auspicious inauguration. The present vice chancellor Prof. Dr. Mohammad Rafiqul Alam. 320 crores and 69 crores in two phases under two development projects with extensive infrastructural development and addition of laboratory facilities, Chuet’s visible development is well ahead of any previous time.
Chute is the country’s only university-based IT business incubator
First of all at the university level of the country, under the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology of the Government of Bangladesh and under the supervision of the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority, to create successful entrepreneurs in the information technology sector at a cost of about 118 crores, to encourage research and innovation activities at the university level and to further strengthen industry-academia collaboration, in addition to building a smart Bangladesh and Chuet’s visible progress in setting up the country’s first university-level “Sheikh Kamal IT Business Incubator” has added a new feather to its streak of success, aiming to earn billions of dollars of foreign exchange in the sector.
The Honorable Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina last July 6, 2022 AD. Joined the virtual platform and inaugurated it. The incubator is expected to play a role in building a “Smart Bangladesh” by 2041 by producing skilled graduates in the IT sector to meet the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Chuet students are also enthusiastic about the incubator. The under-construction IT Business Incubator project at Chuet has opened up immense opportunities for the youth. Where anyone can come up with any kind of creative idea and it is the responsibility of incubators to make it into a productive product and market it.
The Honorable Vice Chancellor of Chuet believes that young people will lead the country’s technology industry by utilizing the benefits of the IT Business Incubator. Mohammad Rafiqul Alam. Currently, at least 7 companies including Butterfly Manufacturing Company Limited, Chaldal.com, Mistry Bazaar, Delegit, Klig Tech, Sims Interactive are conducting their activities in this incubator.
Recently ICT State Minister Junaid Ahmed Palak, MP handed over allotment papers to 17 more startups and technology companies in the incubator. Basically they are working in the incubator with research and development sector. Besides, it is running activities such as Industry-Academia Collaboration, Joint Research Projects, Skills Development Training, On-Campus Recruitment etc.
It is to be noted that the Sheikh Kamal IT Business Incubator, established over an area of about 5 acres, has a 10-storey incubation building and a 6-storey multipurpose training building. Where there are startup zone, idea/innovation zone, industry-academic zone, brainstorming zone, exhibition center, e-library zone, data center, research lab, video conferencing room, conference room etc.
Chute where unique
Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology has 18 departments under 5 faculties as well as 3 research institutes, 3 research centers and a Central Bureau of Research, Testing and Consultancy (BRTC). The center is providing technical services and consultancy to various industries and organizations across the country. Chuet has the country’s only earthquake engineering research institute called ‘Institute of Earthquake Engineering Research’. Besides, there is the country’s only harbor and landslide research center called ‘Centre for River, Harbor and Land-slide Research’. On the other hand Chute organizes international seminars and conferences organized by various departments throughout the year. Among these, the country’s biggest international conference of civil engineers ‘International Conference on Advance Civil Engineering (ICACE)’ is organized by the Civil Engineering Department of Chuet. Besides, ‘ICMERE’ organized by Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, ‘ECCE’ organized by Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, ‘ICPSDT’ organized by Department of Physical Sciences, ‘NCWRE’ organized by Department of Water Resources Strategy, ‘NCETMIA’ organized by Institute of Energy Technology (ITE), The organization of national and international conferences titled ‘National Research Fair’ is noteworthy.
Chuet in social and cultural activities
As engineering education is different from other education systems, the students of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology have to stay in a tight academic schedule throughout the year. But therefore the Chuetians cannot stay in the socio-cultural arena. You may be surprised to hear that there are at least 25 social and cultural organizations registered in Chuet’s 171 acres of land. The organizations are – cultural organization ‘Jayadhvani’, environmental awareness organization ‘Green for Peace’, CHUTE Debating Society, CHUTE Photographic Society, CHUTE Film Society, Bhasha O Sahitya Sangsad CHUTE, robotics practice and research organization ‘Robo Mechatronics Association’ (RMA), Space and Robotic Research Organization ‘Andromeda Space and Robotics Research Organization’ (ISRO), Chute Career Club, Chute Computer Club, Chute Sports Club, World’s Largest Professional Organization ‘Institute of Electronic and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) Students Branch, American Concrete Institute (ACI) Students Branch etc. In this inter-university cultural festival, ‘Jaydhvani’ won the honor of being champion in 2012, 2014, 2017 and 2018 and runner-up in 2010. Chute Debating Society has also recently become the champion of National Debate Festival PCDF-2019, champion of Bangladesh Television Regional Debate Competition-2019 and a total of 7 times champion and three times runner-up in various stages. Besides, Green for Peace has environmental awareness activities throughout the year. Apart from this, the students of RMA and ASRO are constantly working with robotic practice and space and robotic research in keeping with the outside world. In particular, Chuet students in robot research are bringing some success from home and abroad every year.
Chuette’s Recent Achievements
Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CHUTE) is ranked 92nd in South Asia in the QS ranking, the third best public university in the country and the second best engineering university in the US-based world-renowned QS World University Rankings. has been ranked as In addition, Chuet has been ranked 5th among top 15 universities, 2nd best among engineering universities and 3rd best public university in the country. Besides, Chuet is positioned between 1201-1400 in the global ranking and 101-150 in the subject-specific petroleum engineering category. Last 27th June 2023 AD. This ranking is published. Details can be found in this link ttps://tinyurl.com/486z58m5).
Incidentally, the QS World University Ranking is an independent university ranking system, which is published annually based on the quality of university education, faculty-student ratio, number of international faculty-students, employment and research work.
Chute is on the American Concrete Institute’s ACI “Excellent” University List
Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CHUTE) has again been recognized as an ‘Excellent University’ by the American Concrete Institute (ACI), an international professional organization of civil engineers. Last February 10, 2023 AD. This organization based in Michigan in the United States officially informed the Chuet authorities with this information. Among the 55 universities featured in the list are Islamic University of Technology (IUT) apart from Chuet from Bangladesh. In addition, the organization has given the status of outstanding universities to 53 universities. Bangladesh University of Engineering (BUET) from Bangladesh has been placed in this list. The list of Excellent Universities is prepared by taking into account the various activities of the students and consistent success in international competitions.
Organized the first “National Research Fair” at Chuet with 350 teachers-researchers
Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CHUET) has held its first ever “Research Fair-2023” under the slogan “Knowledge Exploration for Smart Bangladesh”. On August 28, 2023, under the supervision of the Directorate of Research and Extension of Chuet. This research fair was held through various programs throughout the day. About 350 teachers, researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs, professionals and students from 40 universities of the country will meet in the fair. Where a total of 131 research articles (94 posters and 37 projects) were finally selected.
Author: Muhammad Rashedul Islam, Assistant Registrar (Coordinating) – Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology.
