NSU, Chattogram Port Authority Sign MoU on Smart Ports. North South University (NSU) has joined hands with the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) to push forward research and innovation in Bangladesh’s maritime sector. The two institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 31 August 2026, setting up a framework that spans research, policy advisory work, technical assessment, and professional training tied to port operations and logistics.
At its core, the agreement is built around evidence-based approaches to running ports, moving cargo efficiently, and governing maritime trade responsibly. The cooperation will touch on a wide range of areas, from port operations and supply-chain research to digitalisation, smart port management, cybersecurity, and environmental resilience reflecting how much the industry itself has shifted toward technology and sustainability in recent years.
For NSU’s academic community, the partnership opens a door that is not always easy to access: real exposure to how a major port actually functions. Faculty members, researchers, and students will have the chance to take part in field visits, applied research projects, internships, and hands-on policy work tied to genuine port challenges, though each opportunity will still need CPA’s approval and must fit within the university’s own institutional requirements.
The collaboration is also expected to sharpen NSU’s academic strength in fields such as maritime economics, logistics, public policy, port governance, GIS, environmental management, and cybersecurity. Beyond the classroom, the two sides plan to run joint seminars, workshops, training programmes, and policy dialogues that bring together academics, port officials, students, and policymakers under one roof.
On the research side, the partnership is designed to produce tangible output: joint publications, policy briefs, technical reports, case studies, and training materials, along with the possibility of pursuing collaborative grants and externally funded projects together. For CPA, meanwhile, the agreement offers technical support for its modernization drive, including digital innovation, operational research, and benchmarking against internationally recognized port standards.
The MoU was signed by Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, PhD, Vice-Chancellor of North South University, and Rear Admiral S M Moniruzzaman, Chairman of the Chattogram Port Authority. The South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) at NSU will anchor the university’s side of the collaboration, with Professor M A Rashid, PhD, serving as the designated point of contact.
The agreement is set to run for five years, with room for extension if both parties agree, giving the partnership a long runway to develop beyond one-off events or short-term projects.
NSU’s Office of External Affairs, which helped bring the partnership together, described it as part of the university’s broader effort to build ties with major national institutions and connect academic research with real-world problems. Looking ahead, North South University said it hopes the collaboration with the Chattogram Port Authority will contribute meaningfully to the modernization of Bangladesh’s maritime sector — an industry central to the country’s trade and economic growth.