University of Dhaka marks 96 years of glory

TABASSUM BINTE TABRIZ

University of Dhaka observed its 96th birthday on July 1, 2017 through much enthusiasm. The day was followed by colourful processions, discussions, and exhibitions on campus while the buildings were decorated earlier that day. The theme of the day was "Higher education for innovation and development".

The day was observed marking the launching of academic activities of the university which started in July 1, 1921. The university began its journey with just 847 students under 3 faculties and 12 departments. Now there are about 37,064 students who are taught by 1,885 teachers under 77 departments and 11 institutions in University of Dhaka.

Dr. AAMS Arefin Siddique, Vice Chancellor of the University, inaugurated the programme. The opening ceremony was followed by a procession at 10 AM, which set out from the residential halls. Dr. Siddique led the procession accompanied by Dr. Nasreen Ahmad, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic); Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration); university senate members, officials and hundreds of students from different departments. The procession marched down through Central Library and Teacher Student Centre (TSC) intersection and ended at Oporajeyo Bangla. 

The Vice Chancellor congratulated the students on being part of the university, mentioning the institution's part in the Language Movement of 1952 and Liberation War of 1971. He said, "The University of Dhaka has been contributing to the development of education and culture of the country for a very long time." He also appreciated the graduates and said they have a very strong moral sense which will help them in leading the country.

There were exhibitions held at the university library showcasing rare manuscripts. Another exhibition was held at the Curzon Hall showcasing health movements invented by the Department of Biomedical Physics & Technology. Cultural sessions, sport events and debate competitions were also organised by the university authority to mark the day.

Alumni students and general people of the city also came to observe the day alongside the current students.

EEE Dept. of DIU receives BAETE accreditation

Board of Accreditation for Engineering and Technical Education (BAETE), Bangladesh has reviewed the B.Sc. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) programme of Daffodil International University (DIU) and accredited the programme with all privileges in the 46th Board Meeting of BAETE held on May 21, 2017. 

This accreditation will ensure that graduates acquire the attributes required to meet national and international standards and  will help to assist all stakeholders in identifying specific engineering education programmes that meet national and international standards. According to the accreditation the students who passed and will pass B.Sc. in EEE of DIU will be eligible to apply for IEB membership. Earlier, a high profile team of BAETE visited Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering of DIU and graded as satisfactory. 

The accreditation of the programme will recognize and acknowledge the value of transforming a student into a capable engineer with sound knowledge of fundamentals and an acceptable level of professional competence. The accreditation process is also significant as a means of promoting quality by encouraging healthy competition among different degree programmes at the same institution and among similar programmes at different institutions. 

EDU moves to new permanent campus

EDU's new permanent campus is situated in the Mozaffor Nogor neighbourhood of Nasirabad, Chittagong. This is the new abode of learning for the students of EDU.

According to the university authority, the new campus can accommodate over 8000 students. The academic building consists of a duplex library storing upto 50,000 to 60,000 books, 11 modern engineering labs, and 100 well-lit and ventilated classrooms.

Following international standards, each classroom has a maximum capacity of 35 students. To encourage group study and discussions, the university has provided separate common rooms for girls and boys. Furthermore, there are segregated prayer halls and entertainment areas for students.

EDU's founding Vice Chairman and the new campus' CEO Syeed Al Noman stated, "We sincerely focused on the development of the permanent campus within the timeframe given by the UGC. Despite many limitations, we ensured that the construction work never got stalled. Almost every day, curious visitors have paid a visit to our new campus which is a moment of joy for us." 

Business school student Iffat Khan expressed her excitement, saying, "The new campus will instill inspiration to move ahead. I'm really looking forward to enjoying my campus life."

EWU holds a 3-day conference on legal education

The Department of Law, East West University (EWU) arranged a 3-day international conference on "Legal Education" on June 15-17, 2017 at EWU campus. This conference brought together a number of scholars, professors, researchers, practitioners and students from 13 institutions of Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. 

In the conference, the guests of the opening and closing sessions were attended by Justice M. Tafazzul Islam, former Chief Justice; Dr. Mohammed Farashuddin, Chairperson, BOT, EWU; Dr. Mizanur Rahman, former Chairman, National Human Rights Commission Bangladesh; Prof. Dr. Fakhrul Alam, Department of English, University of Dhaka; Prof. Dr. Salimullah Khan, Director, Center for Advanced Theory, University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh; and Dr. Fouzia Mannan, Dean, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, EWU.  

Speakers at the conference emphasised on the need and importance of legal education in the current world. They encouraged the researchers for more work in legal education sector. Prof. Dr. Tureen Afroze, Chairperson of the Department of Law, EWU was the convenor of the conference.

NSU elects new Board of Trustees chairman

Mohammed Shajahan, an eminent industrialist and businessman, a philanthropist, and one of the promoters and founding life members of North South University (NSU) has recently been unanimously nominated as the Chairman, Board of Trustees of The North South University Trust, and Chairman, Board of Governors, The North South Foundation for the year of 2017-18.

A Commercial Important Person (CIP), he is the Managing Director of Shah Fatehullah Textile Mills Ltd. and Jalal Ahmed Spinning Mills Ltd., and one of the former Directors of Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI). He served Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) as its President from 1995 to 1998. He is the former Honorary Consul of the Republic of Moldova to Bangladesh with the status of a Diplomat.