The MoU was formally signed on 6 July 2026 during a virtual ceremony attended by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees Prof. Dr. Golam Rahman; Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. Ashraful Hoque; Deans, senior faculty members of AUST, and colleagues from UNU-FLORES.
The MoU was signed on behalf of AUST by Prof. Dr. Sharmin Reza Chowdhury, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (In-charge) and Treasurer, Engr. Mohammad Faizur Rahman, Head of the Department of Textile Engineering, and Mohammad Tajul Islam PhD, CCol FSDC, CText FTI, Professor of the Department of Textile Engineering and the designated Contact Person for the MoU. On behalf of UNU-FLORES, the MoU was signed by Prof. Dr. Edeltraud (Edel) Guenther, Director of UNU-FLORES.
This partnership establishes a framework for long-term collaboration in:
Joint research and innovation
Capacity development and knowledge exchange
Academic seminars, workshops, and conferences
Doctoral supervision
Sustainable development initiatives
Interdisciplinary collaboration in engineering, architecture, business, and related disciplines, with a particular emphasis on circular textiles.
The collaboration traces its origins to the visit of the AUST delegation comprising Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. Ashraful Hoque, Prof. Dr. Lal Mohan Baral, and Prof. Mohammad Tajul Islam PhD, CCol FSDC, CText FTI, to UNU-FLORES in Dresden, Germany, in September 2025, during which opportunities for strategic academic and research cooperation were explored. Following several months of constructive discussions and joint efforts, this shared vision has now been translated into a formal institutional partnership.
We extend our sincere appreciation to Prof. Edeltraud (Edel) Guenther and her colleagues of UNU-FLORES for their cooperation and commitment throughout the process. We are equally grateful to the leadership of AUST for their continuous encouragement and support in strengthening the University’s international engagement.
We look forward to translating this partnership into impactful research, educational initiatives, and capacity-building activities that contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and create meaningful opportunities for our faculty members, researchers, and students.
Together, we look forward to advancing sustainable innovation through global collaboration.
