The IEEE NSU Student Branch has successfully organized the most anticipated flagship event of the year, titled “Student Professional Awareness Conference (SPAC) 2025,” on December 29, 2025. The event was Powered by Tanvir Constructions Ltd. and Co-Powered by Nasir Syntax Motors. With the success of 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024, this year’s conference was the largest ultimate gathering of students, academia, and industry leaders. 

The event commenced at 08:30 AM, with 200 participants completing their registration via unique QR codes. Following breakfast, the program began with a Quran recitation and the national anthem. For the Inaugural Ceremony, the IEEE NSU Student Branch was pleased to have Dr. Mohammad Abdul Matin, Professor and Chair of the ECE Department, North South University; Dr. Shazzad Hossain, Professor & Dean of SEPS, North South University; and Prof. Abdur Rob Khan, Treasurer and Pro-VC (IC), North South University. In this ceremony, the respected speakers welcomed everyone and shared the importance of events such as SPAC for all engineering students. They also shared how all the participants can learn valuable insights from all the sessions. A token of appreciation was given to all three respected speakers.

The first keynote speaker of this event was Dr. Mahmud Abdul Matin Bhuiyan, Vice-Chancellor, Chattogram University of Engineering and Technology (CUET). The esteemed speaker presented his speech on the topic “Harnessing Solar Energy: Powering a Clean and Sustainable Future.” In his insightful session, he emphasized the importance of renewable energy in Bangladesh, discussing its challenges and exploring viable solutions. 

The second keynote speaker of this event was Dr. Celia Shahnaz, Professor, Dept. of EEE, BUET, 2025-26 Chair; IEEE WIE Nominations and Appointments, 2025-27 IEEE Computer Society Distinguished Visitor; and Counselor of IEEE BUET Student Branch. The distinguished speaker presented her speech on the topic “Deep Learning for Research and Innovation.” In her session, Ma’am shared her outstanding research on related topics and encouraged everyone to engage in research that addresses our country's challenges.

Dr. Md. Khan Sobayel Bin Rafiq, Deputy General Manager, Nasir Group of Industry, conducted the next session. The distinguished speaker gave his speech on the topic “Sustainable Energy Technologies for Bangladesh’s Future: Opportunities, Challenges, and Global Perspectives.” He explained that renewable energy is green, sustainable energy is environmentally and economically viable, and that fundamental research differs from industrial research.

Following that, Mohammad Zuberul Islam, Senior Principal Engineer, Innovation Solution Team, Samsung R&D Institute, conducted the session. He presented his speech on the topic “Engineering High Performance Connectivity (MDE & IoT) Solutions.” In his speech, he elaborated on advanced technology and different aspects that can be implemented together to effectively solve problems using connectivity and IoT. 

After the lunch and prayer break, the panel discussion was held. The topic of the panel discussion was “AI in the Enterprise: Hype, Reality, and Engineering Challenges.” The respected panelists were Yeaminul Islam, Digital Solution & Service Senior Manager, Banglalink; Shafqat Asif, Co-founder, Vivasoft Limited, Bangladesh; Md Shofiul Alam, National AI Strategist, Founder at HyperTAG & Desh A; and the respected moderator was Saif Ahmed, Adjunct Lecturer of the ECE Department at North South University, Branch Counselor of IEEE NSU SB, and Faculty Advisor of IEEE NSU PES SBC. The panel discussion examined the gap between AI hype and real-world enterprise applications, highlighting practical skills, engineering challenges, and ethical concerns. It emphasized that while AI is transformative, human judgment, creativity, and responsible use remain essential.

The third keynote speaker was Md Touhidur Rahman Rad, Sr. Executive Director & CBO at Walton Digi-Tech Industries Limited. The esteemed speaker presented his speech on the topic “The Journey Toward Localized Hardware Manufacturing in Bangladesh.” In this insightful speech, he highlighted Bangladesh’s potential in localized hardware manufacturing, emphasizing sustainable design, market-driven engineering solutions, and growing career opportunities for electrical engineers. 

After the final round of Future Builders Hackathon and evening snacks break, the next session was conducted by Dr. Ariful Haque, Assistant Professor, Ingram School of Engineering, Texas State University. He presented his speech on “Bridging Research, Industry, and Academia: Lessons from Intel and U.S. Universities.” In his speech, he shared insights on connecting research, industry, and academia, drawing lessons from Intel and leading U.S. universities to highlight innovation-driven collaboration. Tokens of appreciation were presented to each speaker by the respective faculties of NSU following engaging Q&A sessions.

For the closing ceremony, the IEEE NSU Student Branch was honored to have Mr. M.A. Kashem, Board of Trustees member of NSU, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Southeast Bank PLC, share his speech. The respected speaker highlighted the importance of effectively utilizing available opportunities to develop valuable skills and contribute meaningfully to Bangladesh’s progress. Next, Lt Col. S.M Shahjalal (Retd), Project Director & Chief Operating Officer of Tanvir Constructions Ltd., acknowledged the importance of conferences like SPAC and extended his sincere thanks to all the participants. 

Lastly, the prize-giving ceremony started, where the Hackathon winners were awarded. The Lead Ambassadors, Md Taufiq Alahi and Aditto Rahman, were awarded for their excellent work. The Best Ambassadors of SPAC 2025, MD Redwan Islam from NSU, and MD. Nahiduzzam from AIUB was awarded. Lastly, the Hero of SPAC 2025 was awarded, and the awardees were Muddassir Haque Siam, Kazi Tanzia Saba, Jeciah Nazmee, Mehejabin Kabir, Mridha Fahad Hossain, and Nujhat Binte Saleh. The daylong event came to an end with a grand dinner and an exciting cultural session. The whole event served the purpose of fostering innovation, bridging academia and industry, and empowering students with skills and insights for future success.