The College of Nursing at the International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT) has entered into a strategic partnership with Unico Hospitals PLC in Dhaka through three agreements to strengthen nursing education, clinical training, professional development, and healthcare services.

The agreements comprise a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on clinical placement, an MoU on internships and a service agreement. Together, the agreements will expand opportunities for IUBAT nursing students and graduates to gain practical clinical experience while providing healthcare benefits to members of the wider IUBAT community, according to a press release.

Under the clinical placement MoU, signed on 31 August 2026, students of IUBAT’s four-year Bachelor in Nursing programme will have opportunities to undertake supervised clinical rotations at Unico Hospital.

The placements will cover relevant clinical areas, including medicine, surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, community health and other appropriate specialities, in accordance with applicable academic and professional standards of the Bangladesh Nursing and Midwifery Council (BNMC).

The clinical placement initiative is expected to strengthen students’ practical competencies by providing hands-on exposure to patient care, ward management, clinical procedures, communication and professional ethics in a hospital environment.

A second MoU on internships was also signed on 31 August 2026 to provide eligible graduates of IUBAT’s Bachelor in Nursing programme with structured professional and clinical experience at Unico Hospital.

The internship will run for six months, allowing graduates to develop their clinical competencies further and gain practical experience in relevant nursing and clinical departments. Successful interns will receive an official internship completion certificate from Unico Hospitals PLC.

The third agreement, a service agreement, extends the partnership to the broader IUBAT community. Under the agreement, IUBAT students, alums, teachers, employees and eligible dependants will be able to access selected healthcare services at Unico Hospital with applicable corporate discounts.

These services include medical consultations, annual health examinations and emergency medical care, subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement.

Vice-Chancellor of IUBAT Professor Dr Abdur Rab and Chief Executive Officer of Unico Hospitals PLC Ardra Kurien signed the agreements on behalf of their respective institutions in the presence of representatives from both organisations.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Dr Abdur Rab emphasised the importance of strengthening practical learning opportunities for nursing students and graduates through meaningful collaboration with healthcare institutions.

He said, “The partnership between IUBAT College of Nursing and Unico Hospitals PLC represents an important step in connecting academic learning with professional healthcare practice. Clinical exposure and structured internships are essential for preparing competent, ethical, and confident nursing professionals. We are also pleased that this collaboration extends healthcare benefits to the wider IUBAT community.”

Ardra Kurien expressed optimism about the collaboration and its potential to contribute to the development of future healthcare professionals.

The institutions said the partnership reflected their shared commitment to strengthening industry-academia collaboration, experiential nursing education, professional development, and quality healthcare services.

Through clinical placements and structured internships, IUBAT nursing students and graduates will have greater opportunities to translate academic knowledge into practical skills and professional competencies.

The collaboration is expected to help develop a highly skilled, compassionate, and professionally prepared nursing workforce while strengthening the connection between nursing education and the healthcare sector.