DU saves on research

The Dhaka University authority yesterday announced its proposed annual budget of Tk 664.11 crore for the FY 2016-2017, allocating only Tk 12.16 crore, or 1.83% of the total budget, for research.

The allocation for education and research sector is only 0.17 percentage points higher than that of the last year's revised budget. Education and research sector accounts for only 9.16 percent of the total budget, while the major portion of the budget, 82.54 percent or Tk 548.15 crore, will be spent for salaries, allowances and pensions of teachers and employees.

However, teachers said the small allocation for education and research will narrow quality and opportunities of research.

Moniruzzaman Khondker, director of Centre for Advanced Studies and Research in Biological Sciences of the university, said, "Last year 13 research proposals of our teachers were selected. As only Tk 5 lakh were allocated for the centre, I had to distribute the money for all the projects in very small amounts. So a teacher could complete only two or three phases of his or her research.

Conducting a masters level thesis requires Tk 2 to Tk 3 lakh. Many teachers and students cannot conduct a quality thesis owing to such an insufficient allocation, added Moniruzzaman, a professor of botany.

Inadequate funding for research is one of the reasons for the university to rank low in global standards, he mentioned.

According to the university administration, there are more than 2,000 teachers in 81 departments and over 50 research bureaus and centres at DU.

"Many teachers are being recruited and numerous departments introduced, but quality of teachers is falling. Teachers get promoted without submitting quality research papers," said Sadeka Halim, director, Centre for Advanced Research in Social Sciences.