Md. Abdur Rahman from Patuakhali :

The International Workshop on Wireless Networking and Cyber Security (WWNCS) training course under the Asi@Connect sub-granted project titled: Strengthen the Asi@Connect Female Network Engineer (SAFE): capacity development program for NREN TechGirl and Future IT-Girl (Phase-2) has been completed successfully. The course, funded by EC/Asi@Connect/TEIN*CC and organized by the Department of Computer Science and Information Technology (CSIT), Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU) held at BDS Bhaban, 5-Sadar Road, Barishal, Bangladesh from 23~25 December 2022. On 23 December the program was inaugurated by the Vice-Chancellor of PSTU Professor Dr. Swadesh Chandra Samanta. Nahida Akter, Deputy General Manager, Genex Infosys Limited, Bangladesh,  Engr. Md. Jahidul Islam, ICT Specialist, CEDP, MoE & Co-PI, SAFE (Phase-2), and Professor Dr. Md. Samsuzzaman, Chairman, Department of CCE are present as special guests. There are also present Atpita Howlader, Assistant Professor, Department of CCE & Collaborating participant, SAFE (phase-2), Md. Mahabubur Rahman, Assistant Professor, CSIT, PSTU, Md, Shahidul Islam, Network Engineer, PSTU. The program was presided over by Professor Chinmay Bepery, Chairman, Department of CSIT, PSTU & principal investigator, SAFE(phase-2). On the last day of the workshop (25 December), the certificates are distributed among participants in the presence of Dr. Abdul Masud, Professor, CSIT, PSTU.

There was also the presence of other teachers, officials, and related members of the event. The Principal Investigator of the SAFE (phase-2) project Professor Chinmay Bepery said, this is a female (ITGirl) centric project, and all activities under this project focus on female capacity enhancement. He also said, we have arranged 10 awareness seminars in different regional universities in Bangladesh, 10 online webinar courses on computer networking, and 4 regional workshops on Networking Basics and Campus Network Design from the last March and this is the International blended hands-on workshop under this project. Under this project, 25 fellowships will be distributed among female ITGirl based on the performance of previous activities under SAFE by 31 January 2023. In this workshop, 36 female participants from 24 different Universities and 10 professionals from different NREN institutes and other organizations of Bangladesh got hands-on training. There are more than 100 virtual participants from 15 Asi@Connect beneficiary countries. This training program will help the participants with best practices of computer networking and cyber security in real fields. From the feedback of the participants, this type of female-prioritized event has not been ever seen in this field. Participants show their interest and create a collaborative network among faculty, experts, and professionals regarding cybersecurity issues.