International Training on Comparative Governance Forum 2026

The four-day Comparative Governance Forum 2026, jointly organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and the School of International Relations and Public Affairs (SIRPA), Fudan University, concluded on Thursday, 06 August 2026, at the BIISS Auditorium. The concluding session marked the successful completion of four days of academic exchanges, policy discussions, expert interactions, and field visits aimed at strengthening Bangladesh-China cooperation in governance, public policy, and institutional development.

H.E. Md Ismail Zabihullah, Honourable Adviser to the Prime Minister for the Ministry of Public Administration, graced the concluding session as the Chief Guest. Professor ZHANG Ping, Vice Dean of the School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University, and H.E. Mr Yao Wen, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Bangladesh, attended the event as Special Guests. The session was chaired by Major General A S M Ridwanur Rahman, awc, afwc, psc, G, Director General of BIISS.

In his remarks, Professor ZHANG Ping appreciated the warm hospitality extended by BIISS and expressed optimism that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during the inaugural session would facilitate sustained institutional collaboration between BIISS and Fudan University in the future.

The Chief Guest, H.E. Md Ismail Zabihullah, commended BIISS and Fudan University for organising the forum and expressed hope that the knowledge and insights generated through the programme would contribute to strengthening public policy research, governance practices, and Bangladesh-China cooperation.

In his concluding remarks, Major General A S M Ridwanur Rahman, awc, afwc, psc, G, Director General of BIISS, observed that the forum had provided an important platform for meaningful academic dialogue, knowledge sharing, and policy exchange among scholars, experts, and practitioners from Bangladesh and China.

During the concluding session, certificates were awarded to the participants in recognition of their successful completion of the training programme.

The four-day programme featured a series of panel discussions, expert lectures, interactive sessions, and field visits covering a broad range of contemporary governance and development issues. Key themes included governance modernisation, targeted poverty alleviation, digital governance and artificial intelligence, the Global Development Initiative (GDI), industrialisation, shared development beyond 2030, and Bangladesh-China relations.

As part of the programme, participants also undertook field visits to the Padma Bridge and the Dasherkandi Sewage Treatment Plant. These visits provided participants with practical insights into Bangladesh’s infrastructure development, connectivity, urban management, and environmental governance.

The successful conclusion of the Comparative Governance Forum 2026 reaffirmed the shared commitment of BIISS and Fudan University to promoting academic and institutional cooperation and creating avenues for continued knowledge exchange between Bangladesh and China in the areas of governance, public policy, and sustainable development.