Tamim Ahmed has more than 18 years of experience in the field of Information Technology, specializing in IT governance, IT risk management, IT project management, policy development, and cybersecurity. Throughout his career he has held diverse roles in the government sector, financial institutes, and World Bank projects. Tamim holds master's and bachelor's degrees in computer science and has acquired many industry-leading certifications. Tamim currently works at BGD e-GOV CIRT.

IVLP Impact Award Project: Building Digital Resilience: Empowering Youth to Combat Cyberbullying

The project created a safer and more positive online community for youth, where everyone can feel respected, supported, and empowered. More than 400 students were trained through two trainings sessions at non-government schools outside of Dhaka city. The workshops included interactive sessions on cyber bullying prevention and cyber awareness building, including the negative effects of cyberbullying, how to identify it, and how to report it. A comprehensive handbook on cyber safety was distributed to students, teachers and parents. One parent shared, "I appreciate the Cyber Safety Handbook provided. It opened up discussions at home, making us more aware of our children's online experiences. Some topics of the book were not known to us [so] we also learned."

The project also included a social media campaign with hashtags and shareable infographics to raise awareness about cyber bullying and promote positive online behavior. This helped to inform youth about cyber bullying and best practices in terms of cyber security when sharing via social media. The Facebook page “CyberSafe Youth: Bully-Free & Aware" had 10,000 followers by the end of the project.

 

"The workshops were not just informative but fun too! The quizzes and discussions helped me understand how to stay safe online. I will share my knowledge with my elder brother because he uses [his] mobile a lot."- Project Participant

Tamim participated in the IVLP Project: Promoting Cybersecurity II, organized by the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Center, in partnership with International House, World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, Iowa International Center, International Institute of Wisconsin and Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy.

Tamim's exchange experience led to the development of his IVLP Impact Award Project: "In Bangladesh [the] digital economy continues to evolve, [and] it will be important to develop action plans for promoting positive online behavior and preventing cyber bullying. I will use lessons learned from [the] IVLP program in my project."

U.S. Communities Visited

Washington, DC; Des Moines, IA; Charlotte, NC; Dallas, TX; Salt Lake City, UT; Milwaukee, WI

Country: Bangladesh 

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