Celebrations

IEEE Day Celebration in BRAC University- Celebrating 127 years of IEEE

Tasfia Rahman

IEEE also known as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering is an international non-profit professional organisation that is dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence. It consists of more than 4,00,000 members worldwide. IEEE Bangladesh falls under IEEE Region 10, and this consists of engineers all across the country. The 10 members of the IEEE Region include professionals as well as students; the student members include future engineers studying undergraduate and postgraduate engineering programmes from reputed institutions like BUET, BRAC, AIUB, NSU and many others.

Photo: Tasfia Rahman

One of the well reputed private institutions in Bangladesh, BRAC University is already recognised for its IEEE Student Branch. The BRAC University IEEE Student Branch (IEEE BU SB) was established in the year 2008, and has been an active student body ever since. The IEEE BU SB has held seminars at frequent intervals and workshops throughout these years, and these include exclusive event organisations such as: ''Lecture by IEEE Foundation President & IBM's Director (Research)'' in August 2009, IEEE 125th Anniversary Workshop on Electronics and Communication in June 2009, IEEE Seminar on “Semiconductor Trends for RF Wireless” by Dr Razak Hossain in July 2009, Nanotech Lecture - “A Gentle Introduction to Nanotechnology” by Dr Mumit Khan in April 2009, and Workshop on “Biomedical Instrumentation and Renewable Energy” in the year 2011 sponsored by BATTCO Engineering. IEEE BU SB has been proclaimed as the “Most Vibrant Student Branch of the year” in the year 2009 at the 125th anniversary Workshop on Electronics and Communication in June 2009, Singapore.

This active student branch has also taken the student members of BRAC University to various educational tours to the Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) in Savar and technical tour to the Civil Aviation Authority Complex to name a few, and hopes to carry out many more of such events and tours.

The most recent event organised by the IEEE BU SB was the extravagant IEEE Day Celebration which is observed on October 6 of each year all over the world. There is a huge hype amongst all IEEE student members around the world to partake in this celebration and compete with other universities and colleges around the world to see who has had the best celebration.

In 2010 IEEE BRACU SB celebrated this day on October 7 by taking a tour to the Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) in Savar. It is a research institution of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) for peaceful application of nuclear energy in fields of physical, biological and engineering sciences.

This year IEEE BU SB decided to lavishly celebrate the IEEE Day by holding a quiz competition followed by a members-only after party. The quiz competition consisted of 4 teams, each of which had two active IEEE members. They used their knowledge of electronics, recent technology and general knowledge to compete in this exciting quiz competition. The winners were awarded with gifts by the IEEE BU Student Body Chairperson, followed by the after-party celebration.

The highlight of this event was a blue, black forest cake weighing three kilo grams in celebration of the 127 years of IEEE as an organisation. All the student members cut the cake and celebrated this joyous and successful association of BRAC University and IEEE.

DID YOU KNOW?

Actor Robert De Niro

The son of two Greenwich Village artists, De Niro dropped out of school at age 16 to study at the Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting. After working in a few Off-Off-Broadway plays, he appeared in his first film, Brian De Palma's 'The Wedding Party' (1963, released 1969). During the next four years he appeared in several minor films, the most notable being 'The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight' (1971). It was not until his performance in 'Bang the Drum Slowly' (1973) that he was widely recognised as an excellent actor. 'Mean Streets' (1973) marked De Niro's first association with director Martin Scorsese, with whom he would do some of his most celebrated work. Director Francis Ford Coppola, whose massively popular 'The Godfather' (1972) had won the best picture Oscar, was so impressed by De Niro in 'Mean Streets' that he offered the actor the part of young Vito Corleone in 'The Godfather, Part II' (1974), forgoing even a screen test. De Niro's brilliant take on the part that was created by Marlon Brando in the first Godfather film earned him a best supporting actor Oscar and made him an international star.

Information Source: Internet