| A group of 14 students and two faculty members from across the United States representing 3 Universities were in Bangladesh as part of Bangladesh Study Abroad Program (BSAP), which began on the 28th of December 2009 and ended on the 10th of January 2010. Their main focus being Micro Finance in Bangladesh, the students visited Project areas of BRAC, ASA and Grameen Bank. The Study Abroad Programme was organized by School of Social Work, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, USA in cooperation with Case Western Reserve University, USA and Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB). The students had the opportunity to meet with Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus at Grameen Bank’s office at Mirpur, Dhaka who expressed the features of Micro credit programme run by Grameen Bank and all other programmes run by them besides Micro credit as well. They also meet with Mr Fazle Hasan Abed, Chairperson of BRAC and Mr Shafiqual Haque Chowdhury, President and Founder of ASA. The team later visited some local reputed print and electronic media offices which include The Daily Star, The Daily Prothom Alo and ATN Bangla. The students were amazed and excited to meet and talk with Professor Yunus, the first and only Nobel Laureate in Bangladesh. Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) hosted a farewell dinner on Saturday, 9th January 2010 to the team of American Students where the Chairman of IUB Founding Trust, Mr. Abdul Hafiz Choudhury, Vice Chairman Ambassador C M Murshed, Vice Chancellor of IUB Professor Bazlul Mobin Chowdhury, Pro Vice Chancellor of IUB Prof Omar M Rahman, Professor Mizanur R Miah, Director, School of Social Work, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, USA, Dr Deborah R. Jacobson, Director, International Education Programme, Case Western Reserve University, USA, Dr Michael A Weiss, Professor & Chairman, Dept of Biochemistry, Case Western Reserve University, USA, Md Abu Naser, Doctoral Student, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, USA, Mr Rajmoni Singha, IUB’s Coordinator of the Study-Abroad programme, Registrar and Directors of the Schools of IUB, Heads of the Departments, were all present in the occasion. | 
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