Empowering Female STEM Graduates 
On December 15, 2024, the Grand Finale of Mastermind 2.0, organized by the SUST Career Club (SUSTCC) in support of the SheSTEM program, was successfully hosted at the Sylhet University of Science and Technology (SUST) premises. The business tech competition aimed at empowering STEM students to integrate business ideas into tech solutions addressing social issues by providing them with a platform to advocate their solutions.
The event started with launching the Biztech case to the participants of the top ten teams of the final round. The case problem was based on Byju’s current struggles in the EdTech sector and required teams to come up with market solutions integrating technology. In the latter part of the event, the guests delivered their opening remarks and the judges gave speeches encouraging students to participate and present their visionary ideas. Dr. Md. Mozammel Haque, the event’s chief gusset added that success is hard to come without skills. He emphasized skill development’s importance and pointed out how SheSTEM is helping university students enhance their skills.
The competition provided a platform for undergraduate STEM participants to demonstrate their unique ideas, combined with practicality and technology-driven roadmap, to address the challenges faced by the Edtech sector globally, particularly Byju, and thrive in the rapidly evolving education landscape. The innovative solutions proposed included the incorporation of unique growth models, cryptocurrency adaptation, proper gap analysis, gamification model, customer acquisition, market expansion, and technological opportunities. The projects proposed by the participants aimed to solve the existing challenges in the market while considering the social landscape as well.
The event wrapped up with the announcement of the top three winning teams in the Biztech competition. The champion team, Rising Phoenix, consisted of students from SUST.
The first runner-up, Team Dullhead, consisted of students from BUET.
The second runner-up, Team Apricus, consisted of students from multiple universities (BRAC, North South, and DU).
The event was judged by a panel of experts:
- S.M. Rasel Ahammad – Regional Head, Sylhet North Sales, Robi Axiata PLC
- Bijon Islam – Co-founder and CEO of LightCastle Partners
Additionally, the event was graced by,
- Dr. Md. Mozammel Haque as Chief Guest – Adviser of SUST Career Club, Professor, Department of Food Engineering and Tea Technology, SUST
- Dr. Md. Ashraful Ferdous Chowdhury as Special Guest – Adviser of SUST Career Club, Professor, Department of Business Administration, SUST
- Dr. Mahbubul Hakim as Special Guest – Adviser of SUST Career Club, Professor, Department of Economics, SUST
Mastermind 2.0 attempted to demonstrate the value of applying STEM knowledge with innovative business models to enhance problem-solving skills, develop strategic thinking skills, foster innovative practices, and contribute to socio-economic development.
