The objective of this year’s conference is to explore the linkages among development, garment sector and health and safety issues in Bangladesh. It will highlight the actors and factors that impinge on this linkage at national and global levels. The deliberation will explore how the development partners can more effectively facilitate and assist in solving the key problems for sustaining the competitiveness of Bangladesh garment industry. How to enhance the role international community and of industry experts for practical solutions will come up for discussion.
The seminar is bringing together experts, industry people, NGO representatives and practitioners from development agencies and high level policy makers from Bangladesh and the USA. Participants will include representatives from Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), other manufacturers, international brands and retailers, workers rights groups, international labor organizations, United Nations Agencies, and representatives from international financial institutions.
The organizing committee invites you to attend this seminar and to participate in the discussion dealing with aspects of the global economy, garment industry, trade and development in the context of Bangladesh garments and apparel industry and the role of international community and development partners.
The day-long seminar is cosponsored with the Harvard Center for Environment (HUCE) and Harvard University Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics.
Schedule:
7:30 AM – 8:00 AM Registration & Breakfast
7:45 AM – 8:00 AM Welcome Addresses
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM Session 1: State of Bangladesh Garment Industry
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM Session 2: Globalization and Labor Standards
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Session 3: Trade and Investment Cooperation – Worker rights and Safety
12:30 PM – 1:00 PM Lunch Break
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Session 4: Working Condition, Fire and Building Safety Challenges
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Session 5: Responsible and Sustainable Sourcing
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM Session 6: The Role of International Development Partners
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM Concluding session
For further information, please contact:
Mohammed Iqbal Yousuf, Coordinator
Tel. 617-416-9036
E-mail: mohammed_yousuf@dfci.harvard.edu
As part of its Annual Symposium, SAI is hosting a series of workshops on April 24 and 25 to highlight ongoing faculty research projects supported by SAI.
Come hear about SAI Summer Funding opportunities from 2013 SAI grant recipients. Learn about the various types of grants, the application process, and how to write an appropriate budget for a summer in South Asia.
Enjoy some delicious South Asian food and get a head start on your summer plans.
Dipu Moni,Foreign Minister of Bangladesh
with Ruhul Abid, Assistant Professor, Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School M. Shawkat Razzaque, , Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School and Dental School
and Richard Cash, Senior Lecturer on Global Health, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health
Arthur Kleinman,Esther and Sidney Rabb Professor, Department of Anthropology, Harvard University and Professor of Medical Anthropology in Global Health and Social Medicine and Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Jennifer Leaning,Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Professor of the Practice of Health and Human Rights, Harvard School of Public Health; Director, FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard University; Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
John Wood,founder and board co-chair of Room to Read
Chair: Fernando Reimers, Ford Foundation Professor of International Education and Director of Global Education and of International Education Policy at Harvard University
Over 60 million primary school-aged children around the world do not have access to education and most likely will never learn to read or write. Room to Read believes that all children, regardless of gender or background, have a right to education. By empowering children through this lifelong gift, we see a world in which people are able to realize their full potential.
Atiur Rahman,Central Bank Governor of Bangladesh
Chair: Tarun Khanna, Director, South Asia Institute; Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor, Harvard Business School
Dr. Atiur Rahman is a renowned economist who was appointed as the 10th Governor of Bangladesh Bank on May 1, 2009. Prior to his appointment, he was a Professor in the Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Shamannay, a centre for research and development in Bangladesh. He was also Chairman of Board of Directors of Unnayan Shamannay, a non-profit organization for research, development and cultural learning. His previous roles also include Director of Sonali Bank, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Janata Bank, and a long tenure as a Senior Research Fellow at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS). He has also done extensive published research on the micro-finance revolution in Bangladesh and was Chairman of the Credit Development Forum (CDF) for many years.
Harvard South Asia Institute 10th Anniversary Celebration
Nicholas Dirks,Chancellor, University of California, Berkeley
Introduction by Tarun Khanna, Director, South Asia Institute; Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor, Harvard Business School
Small Cities, Big Issues: Why Small Cities Matter in Debates on Urban Poverty and Inequality
Neema Kudva, Associate Professor, City & Regional Planning, Cornell University
Chair: Rahul Mehrotra, Professor of Urban Planning and Design and Chair of the Department of Urban Planning and Design, Harvard Graduate School of Design
The Future of South Asia: A Landscape of Pluralism
Rahul Mehrotra, Professor and Chair, Department of Urban Planning and Design, Harvard Graduate School of Design Chair: Hiteshkumar Hathi, Producer of NPR’s ‘Here and Now’
Co-sponsored by the Harvard Graduate School of Design
Small Cities, Big Issues: Why Small Cities Matter in Debates on Urban Poverty and Inequality