LMU College of Business Administration signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the largest eye hospital in Bangladesh to advance collaborative research and knowledge exchange in the area of healthcare business analytics, further solidifying LMU’s growing global-local initiatives.
The Ispahani Islamia Eye Institute and Hospital (IIEI&H) is a non-profit ophthalmological hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh and the largest eye hospital in the country with a population of 170 million. The hospital was founded by Bangladeshi philanthropist Mirza Ahmad Ispahani in 1960. With 120 full-time doctors and surgeons, IIEI&H treats about one million patients and performs 60,000 eye surgeries annually. Additionally, the hospital offers educational programs for medical staff and the broader community regarding causes and treatment for common eye disorders. It also works in collaboration with different international organizations and universities such as Sight Savers International, Siemens AG, ORBIS International, NEI/NIH, UC Davis, and Johns Hopkins University on programs for the prevention of blindness and clinical research.
While exploring a relationship with IIEI&H, Dean Dayle Smith saw an exciting opportunity for CBA faculty and students to gain exposure to a large global healthcare institute’s domain expert, data, business processes, and real-life healthcare challenges at scale. Collaborating with Roberta Espinoza, vice provost for Global-Local Initiatives at LMU, Dean Smith finalized a formal collaboration agreement with IIEI&H in October. Thank you to Dean Smith’s global vision and leadership for culminating this opportunity. Thanks to CBA faculty Prof. Arin Brahma for his professional relationship with IIEI&H CEO Mr. Mridul Sarkar and introducing him to Dean Smith. Prof. Espinoza, Prof. Kalbers and Prof. Seal also helped make this collaboration possible.
With this MOU in place, vast opportunities for global on-the-ground research, collaboration, knowledge exchange and student international internships are now available to the entire CBA faculty and students.
