BULLETIN BOARD

A glimpse of Harvard National MUN 2014

NABEERA RAHMAN

The 60th session of the Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN) took place from February 13 to 16 at Boston Park Plaza Hotel, Massachusetts, USA. It was an honour for our delegation to be selected to attend the largest, oldest and most prestigious simulation of the United Nations -- HNMUN-2014. It was a unique opportunity to interact with over 3,000 fellow students from 73 countries.
Soon after registration, there were a couple of sessions held for the new MUNers. Later the main session of HNMUN-2014 was inaugurated officially. The opening ceremony was festive with international delegations singing their national anthems. The contest of the committee session took place after the inauguration. There were 24 committees in the entire conference, involving a rich mix of innovative ideas, stimulating discussions, thoughtful debate, and international camaraderie that effectively addressed a myriad of relevant global issues.
Most of the General Assembly committees were large with approximately 300 delegates and it was difficult to get noticed by the dais in order to get the floor for speaking. When the session officially ended at 10pm and we were getting ready to return to our hotel, we realised that blocs were beginning to form and they were just sitting down to begin writing the working papers! It was another reminder that hard work is one of the main prerequisites of the Harvard National MUN.
At the end of committee sessions on Friday, delegates prepared for Cocktail Event and International Bazaar at which many international delegates showcased traditional items, national cuisines and culture from their home countries. Tour around the Harvard was much anticipated, as we were eagerly waiting to explore one of the best universities in the world. On Sunday morning began the last and final session. Delegates looked exhausted from the past four days of continuous work and play, but the happiness was evident in them. Once the final resolution from each committee was passed it was followed by loud rounds of applause.
With Model UNs becoming increasingly popular in Bangladesh, the 60th session of HNMUN was a unique educational experience for Bangladeshi students. It was a learning opportunity that combined tight competition, diplomacy, and the unification of numerous Model UN communities.
 
The writer is the Vice President, United Nations Youth and Students Association of Bangladesh (UNYSAB).

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Sunnydale's Study Tour

Sadia Hasan

Did you know that PepsiCo is the leading brand in the CSD (Carbonated Soft Drinks) market? Or that Pepsi produces more 7UP than Pepsi? Well now you do. We, students of Class X, who have taken Business Studies as a subject for our upcoming O Level exam, have had the opportunity to pay a visit to the Transcom Beverages Ltd factory located in Konabari, Gazipur on the 27th of February as a part of our study tour programme. Shamsul Alam, the factory manager; Murshedul Huda Sharifi, administration manager, Nadim Hossain, production manager and Md. Nahid Aktar, the human resource manager were all present to welcome our group of fifteen students and three teachers. There was a brief presentation summarising the operations and activities of the PepsiCo franchise followed by a well-guided tour of the factory floor.
First, we were taken to the warehouse where they store their raw materials. Next, we moved on to the unit producing bottles and then to the main production unit. The continuous flow of production is truly breathtaking -- a bottle is put on the production line and before you know it, it is filled with the drink, capped, labelled, sealed and ready for distribution. As a part of our survey on the production of CSD, we then interviewed the managers with the help of a set questionnaire to know more in depth of their quality control techniques, inventory management system, factors affecting their decisions and functions of each of their departments.
At the end of tour, we were each given a bottle of Pepsi and a bottle of Aquafina, their newly launched brand of water. The field trip was exactly what we needed to better understand the 440-page business studies book. Plus we got free Pepsi and what can be better than free Pepsi on a hot, sunny day?

The writer is a class-X student of Sunnydale.

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BRAC University Career Fair-2014

BRAC University in collaboration with Prothom Alo Jobs organised 'BRAC University-Prothom Alo Jobs Career Fair 2014 -- Tackling Graduate Unemployment' on April 4 and 5 at The Westin Dhaka. The event was inaugurated by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, KCMG, Founder and Chairperson of BRAC and Chairperson of BRAC University Board of Trustees. Among others, Matiur Rahman, Editor of Prothom Alo, and Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, Managing Editor of The Daily Star, were present as guests.
The purpose of the career fair was to create and foster a long term relationship between industry and academia. About forty-four organisations from different disciplines including pharmaceuticals, banks and other financial organisations, educational institutions, MNCs, communications and media organisations, telecom brands, beverage companies, humanitarian associations and service providers participated in the event. A total of 15,000 graduating students from different universities visited the fair.

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Primeasia University Premier League-2014

The final match of Inter Department Cricket Competition-2014, organised by Primeasia University, took place at Blues Field Banani on March 31. The tournament kicked off on March 4. A total of 56 teams formed by the students of Primeasia University played 85 matches. The Black Devil's team from the Department of Textile Engineering won the final match, defeating the BBA Fighters. Najim Uddin Badsha from Textile Engineering Department was adjudged the Man of the Series, while Atiqur Rahman from BBA was selected as the Man of the Match in the final. Pro Vice Chancellor of Primeasia University, Professor Dr. Saiful Islam was present at the concluding ceremony as the chief guest and distributed prizes among the teams, players and volunteers. Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology, Proctor, heads of departments, and many students of the university were present at the final ceremony.

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AD-Guru Competition 2014 at UIU

United International University Marketing Forum (UIUMF) organised an intra-university ad-making event, titled 'Ad-Guru Competition-2014' on April 1 and 2 at UIU auditorium.
The competition was on making Television Commercials (TVC) and Print Vision Commercials (PVC). In addition, an exhibition featuring numerous TVCs and PVCs was on display during the event.
On the first day, directors Aranyo Anwer and Kachi Khandoker inaugurated the event along with UIU Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr. Rezwan Khan. Among others, UIU Pro Vice Chancellor, Professor Dr. Chowdhury Mufizul Rahman, along with the faculty members of UIU was present there. On the second day, director Animesh Aich was present as chief guest at the award giving ceremony.
He gave away crests and certificates among the winners and runners up.