Institute of Information Technology (IIT), Jahangirnagar University Participates in 5th Transnational Meeting of Erasmus+ SOHO Project in France
The Institute of Information Technology (IIT) at Jahangirnagar University proudly announces its participation in the 5th Transnational Project Meeting of the Erasmus+ SOHO Project, held on November 27–28, 2025, at Université Lumière Lyon 2, France.
Following the successful fourth meeting in Bucharest, Romania (May 19–20, 2025), the SOHO consortium convened in Lyon to further advance its mission of transforming tourism education. The Erasmus+ SOHO initiative—Smart, Optimized, High-quality, and On-demand Tourism Innovative Education for Sustainable and Green Development (2023–2026)—focuses on modernizing curricula and strengthening global academic collaboration for sustainable tourism development.
The Lyon meeting brought together representatives from nine distinguished universities across Europe and Southeast Asia. Over two days of intensive sessions held at IUT Lumière Lyon, participants engaged in strategic discussions on curriculum finalization, digital transformation in education, integration of smart technologies in tourism, and sustainable learning frameworks.
A key focus of the project is the establishment of Knowledge & Competence Centers (KCCs) in Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Malaysia. These centers aim to serve as hubs for innovation, capacity building, and regional collaboration. In alignment with this vision, the consortium is developing forward-looking academic courses in:
· Smart Transportation
· Sustainable Accommodation
· Renewable Energy Integration in Tourism
These initiatives are expected to equip future professionals and entrepreneurs with the skills required for a sustainable and technology-driven tourism industry.
The director of IIT Prof Dr Risala Tasin Khan along with Project Team Lead Prof Dr M Shamim Kaiser, Team members Prof Dr Shamim A Mamun and Prof Dr Md Sazzadur Rahman joined the meeting from IIT JU. The delegation from American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) included Prof. Dr. Md. Abdur Rahman, Pro-Vice Chancellor, and Associate Professor Dr. Chowdhury Akram Hossain, Head of Computer Engineering. Both Universities from Bangladesh continue to actively contribute to the academic and research components of the SOHO project.
The meeting concluded with a cultural tour of Lyon and informal networking sessions, strengthening partnerships among participating institutions. More than 25 participants attended the event both in person and online.
The SOHO consortium will have upcoming project meeting and workshop in the coming June 2026 in France and Italy. In the hands-on workshop, the training of the Trainers will be conducted. After the training there will be multiple training session in Bangladesh.