News Room

Biotech Round Table Conference

THE Global Network of Bangladeshi Biotechnologists (GNOBB) and Young Biotechnologists of Bangladesh (YoungBB) organized a round table conference entitled "Present Status of Biotechnology and its Possible Solutions" at the Centre of Excellence, University of Dhaka on 15 July 2009. Over hundred guests representing various research organizations like NIB, BARC, BARI, BRRI, BIRDEM, NIB, BRAC; as well as businessmen and representatives from universities, print media, electronic media and NGOs attended the event. Besides the Chief Guest Architect Yeafesh Osman, the State Minister for Science Information and Communication Technology; Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, Vice-Chancellor of University of Dhaka was present as the special guest. Dr. Francis Zapata, originally from Peru and a specialist in plant tissue culture and biotechnology, was also present at the event. The GNOBB moderator Prof Ahmad Shamsul Islam and Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) visiting Prof Ahmed Azad made a fervent appeal on behalf of the community to the State Minister to consider favorably the recommendations submitted over two years ago related to the creation of an autonomous National Commission for Biotechnology, giving an autonomous status to the only National Institute of Biotechnology in the country and creating public-private partnerships to find enough finances to hire adequately qualified NRB's from abroad to man NIB. Prof Naiyuum Choudhury, General Secretary, Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (BAS), gave the concluding speech.

Social activities at IIUC

Md.Shahriar Kabir Rana

"BRINGING greater change through social responsibility” - with this slogan the students of the Department of Business Administration of International Islamic University Chittagong (IIUC) arranged a daylong programme on 29 June involving various social activities. The programme included a voluntary blood donation, voting for Cox's Bazaar and a unique oath-taking programme where the students and teachers of the department expressed their expectations from the country and the university. A discussion on the importance of voluntary blood donation by Dr. Minhaz in charge of Red Crescent Chittagong chapter took place. Prof. Abul Kalam Azad, Dean of the Department of Business Administration, IIUC was the chief guest of the programme. The Head of the department Md. Samsul Karim was the special guest. The Chittagong chapter of the Red Crescent Society provided the technical support for blood collection.

Cross-Border Views-Exchange at JU

A views-exchange meeting among the students of Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh and students of four US Universities was held at the old Arts building in Jahangirnagar University (JU) recently. Daniel Marry Gutter from George Town University, Andie Davies from Ohio State University, Josse Marder from Naval Engineering University and Autumn from Delmar University of USA came at the department of International Relations in Jahangirnagar University (JU) on 11 July. They exchanged their views with the students and teachers of the department regarding various issues like the academic system, class style, cultural activities, student politics and public-private job system of both countries.

UK Visitor at IUBAT

DR. Robert Hodgson, expert on Housing and Hazard of School of Engineering, University of Exeter (UE), UK and Sarah Hodgson visited IUBAT (International University of Business Agriculture and Technology) on July 18. The visit was part of a continuing co-operation between the two universities since 1996 on academic issues revolving on higher professional education, environmental management, disaster and air quality aspects at the level of urban and rural communities. Prof. M Alimullah Miyan informed the visitor about the steady development of the university in physical and academic terms. Dr. Hodgson appreciated the disaster management activities and newly initiated sustainability programmes. The information on innovative arrangement in educational financing in the form of deferred payment through the IUBAT Multipurpose Co-operative Society Limited (IMCSL) was highly commended by the visitors. Dr Hodgson shared information on progress on their ongoing education programmes in Dinajpur. This visit of Dr. Hodgson will strengthen the on going networking between IUBAT and UE in the coming days.

Training Programme at BAU

A four-day long training on 'Resource Management through Geographical Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) was held at the Bangladesh Agricultural University(BAU) on July 20-23, 2009. Professor Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam, Convener, Dean Council and Dean Faculty of Fisheries was present as chief guest at the inaugural function while Professor Dr. Md. Sultanuddin Bhuiya, Coordinator, Committee for Advanced Studies and Research (CASR ) was the special guest on the occasion. Professor Dr. M. Mamunur Rashid, Head, Department of Aquaculture, presided over the inaugural function. Dr. M. A. Salam, Convener, organizing committee and Resource Person GIS Training explained the aims and objective of the training course. Mr. Md. Golam Mahboob, Resource person and Scientific Officer, Training and Communication Wing, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur delivered the lecture on RS Training. The closing and certificate awarding ceremony of the GIS and RS training program was held on 23 rd July 2009. Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. M.A. Sattar Mandal was the chief guest while Dr. M. G. Hussain, Director General, Bangladesh Fisheries research Institute (BFRI) was the special guest on the occasion.

Uttam Das selected for Prestigious Humphrey Fellowship

DR. Uttam Kumar Das, a human rights lawyer and researcher from Bangladesh, has been selected by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board for a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Award for the year 2009-2010. The Award is administered by the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, United States, Department of State with cooperation of the Institute of International Education. His area of study is Law and Human Rights (i.e. Trafficking in Persons: Prevention and Policy, with a special focus on the labour forms of trafficking). As part of the Fellowship, Dr. Das will be placed at the Law School and Human Rights Center at the University of Minnesota, USA for a year. Renowned Professor Dr. David S. Weissbrodt is his Faculty Mentor.

“Economics of Education” starts with JU

THE Department of Economics at Jahangirnagar University started the course “Economics of Education” in its Masters programme on 15 July 2009. This is the first time economics of education is being offered in a university in Bangladesh. The course seeks to explain the microeconomics of education in a market setting. Part I takes human capital as a starting point to identify and explain factors that determine the demand for and the supply of education. Using tools from public finance and public choice “Economics of Education” then analyses various market and non-market mechanisms of how education is financed at household and at national levels. Part II provides a discussion on education in Bangladesh and seeks to analyse recent. “Economics of Education” will introduce students with classic research articles that are relevant to the topics of discussion. The main texts include Daniele Checchi's 'Economics of Education' and George Borjas's 'Labor Economics'.

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