Feature

Ambassador of Science Connect

Prof. Lutfor Rahman

AN ambassador is the highest- ranking diplomat to represents his country and is usually accredited to a foreign government or an international organization to serve as the official representative the country. Sometimes countries also appoint highly respected individuals as ambassadors assigning specific responsibilities and they work to advise and assist their governments in a given area. The host country typically allows the ambassador to control specific territory called embassy, whose territory, staff, and even vehicles are generally awarded diplomatic immunity in the host country. The senior diplomatic officers among members of the Commonwealth of Nations known as High Commissioners are the heads of High Commissions.

The United Nations University in Germany has their special type of ambassadors in Europe and African countries. They are mainly senior professors of universities or research students of PhD programmes. They work for the Science Connect project of the United Nations University (UNU). Ambassadors who are Science Connect Community believe in the vision of Science Connect. They are willing to support the expansion of this scientific community throughout the world and promote the Science Connect initiative as a place for cooperation of academia, universities, students, researchers and all interested persons. The ambassadors attend a short training of three days duration. The short training is designed to make the new ambassadors familiar with the concept of Science Connect, and help them to develop their own ambassador-programme, and introduce them to the guidelines for their role as ambassadors as well as discuss how Science Connect can be a vehicle to share with their local community to benefit the international cooperation and to making links.

The United Nations University (UNU) at Bonn, Germany organised two workshops in Africa and one in Europe in 2009. I had the scope to attend their programme held last June at Maastricht, Netherlands. It was a unique opportunity to share ideas and knowledge and it was a place for facing interview with the committee.

On 18 August 18 2009, the Chair of the Science Connect of UNU sent me an email to join them as a ambassador.

Inclusion in Ambassadors list of the United Nations University (UNU) will enable Bangladesh to participate all sorts of developmental debating programs anywhere it held. Bangladesh higher education sectors are suffering from different types of technology gaps. UNESCO being one of the main partners of this initiative, a bridge will create between UNESCO and Bangladesh. At the same time, cooperation from Bangladesh govt. is the crucial at this stage.

(The author is a Science Connect Country Ambassador for Bangladesh and founder Vice-Chancellor of Science and Technology University in Rural Bangladesh)

Jokes

How To Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity

1. At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down.

2. On all your cheque stubs, write 'For Marijuana'.

3. Skip down the street rather than walk and see how many looks you get.

4. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

5. Sing along at the Opera.

6. When the money comes out of the ATM, scream 'I Won! I Won!'

7. When leaving the Zoo, start running towards the car park, yelling 'Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!'

8. Tell your children over dinner, 'Due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of you go.'