education
CU postpones exams, Dhaka students to return home by university bus
The authorities of Chattagram University on Saturday decided to postpone all exams indefinitely due to the Covid-19 situation deteriorating in the country.
Besides, authorities have arranged four buses to take back the Dhaka bound students currently staying at the campus due to the scheduled exams.
Also read: Dhaka Board to begin HSC registration from June 29
The buses will depart at 12 pm tomorrow and will drop the students off till Sayedabad, Dhaka.
The decision was taken in a virtual meeting chaired by the vice-chancellor of the university Shireen Akhter.
Also read: HSC, SSC exams to be held on brief syllabuses: Dipu Moni
CU Registrar (Acting) SM Monirul Hasantold UNB that , "As per the unanimous decision of the meeting, the examinations of Chittagong University and various educational institutions affiliated to the university have been postponed till further orders.”
CU Proctor Rabiul Hasan Bhuiyan said, "Apart from Dhaka-bound students, students of the respective routes will be able to take university buses."
Read 5 conditions set for online recruitment in public universities
Dhaka Board to begin HSC registration from June 29
The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka on Friday directed students to complete their registration by July 11 for this year’s Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) exam amid a worrying surge in Covid-19 cases across the country.
The form fill-up process will stay open from June 29 to July 11, according to a notice issued by the board on Friday.
Also read: HSC, SSC exams to be held on brief syllabuses: Dipu Moni
The notice also instructed colleges not to hold eligibility tests this year and also asked the institutions concerned not to collect any fees for that purpose.
Educational institutions across the country have remained shut since March last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
HSC examinees were evaluated on the basis of their results in JSC and SSC exams last year, a decision which received a mixed reaction.
Also read: Strict nationwide lockdown in Bangladesh from Monday as Covid situation worsens
Recently on June 13, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni said that her ministry is making preparations to take SSC and HSC examinations this year with a shortened syllabus.
However, the minister also said that the ministry is also considering alternative options in case the covid situation worsens in the country.
Read WB approves $191mn credit for Bangladesh’s education sector
WB approves $191mn credit for Bangladesh’s education sector
The World Bank on Friday approved a $191 million credit to Bangladesh to help it strengthen the higher education sector and respond better to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Board of Executive Directors of the lending agency gave the approval to the Higher Education Acceleration Transformation Project.
The credit is from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), and has a 30-year term, including a five-year grace period.
Read: Manufacturing sector’s productivity crucial for Bangladesh to offset Covid impacts: WB
The first World Bank supported regional education project in South Asia will support regional collaboration in the higher education sector, including student mobility through equivalence programs, credit transfer schemes, and university twinning arrangements within the region, said a World Bank media release.
It will also help more women access to quality higher education, which will result in increased female labor force participation.
The Covid-19 pandemic has hit hard the higher education sector in South Asia, causing more dropouts and fewer enrolments.
Female students are likely to be disproportionately impacted, further exacerbating the existing gender gap in higher education.
The project will support pandemic and emergency response and build systemic resilience in the higher education sector with a specific focus on digitization.
Read:Helping poor in Bangladesh: WB approves $600 mn for 2 projects
It will establish a South Asian Higher Education Portal, hosted in Bangladesh, to facilitate the ‘virtual mobility' of students, by allowing students from the registered universities to take courses for credit outside their home country.
In addition to Bangladesh, students from other South Asian countries will be able to access the portal.
It will also strengthen regional cooperation among the National Research and Education networks (NRENs) and provide expanded access and connectivity for students.
The project will upgrade the Bangladesh Research and Education Network (BdREN) and will offer a subsidized connectivity package to students and the participating universities in BdREN.
South Asia region has the second-lowest female labour force participation rate globally. To enable more women to access quality higher education, get better jobs, and become leaders, the project will build a network of women’s universities and institutions, which will be initially anchored on the Asian University of Women in Chittagong, Bangladesh.
Read:3 legal luminaries appointed from Bangladesh to WB's arbitration court
“For our collective future, higher education is a necessity, not a choice. As Bangladesh aspires to achieve upper middle-income status, the country needs to invest in its youth to create a skilled and globally competitive workforce” said Mercy Tembon, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan.
“This financing will help Bangladesh strengthen quality and relevance of tertiary education particularly for women, as well as ensure business continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
World Bank Task Team Leader of the project Mokhlesur Rahman said: “The project will help meet the increasing demand for quality higher education in South Asia. Further, it will also help South Asian countries benefit from regional cooperation in higher education and strengthen research and innovations capacities in the universities.”
DU places Tk831.79 crore budget with only 1.32% for research
Dhaka University (DU) on Thursday placed a Tk831.79 crore budget for the fiscal year (FY) 2021-22 T, allocating nearly 59% of it for salary and allowances of teachers and staff.
Only 1.32% of the budget, Tk11 crore, was allocated for the research sector.
DU Treasurer Professor Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed presented the budget at the annual senate session of the university at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban with the Senate Chairman and Vice-chancellor Professor Md Akhtaruzzaman in the chair.
This year, the size of the budget was lowered by Tk37.77 crore compared to Tk869.56 crore of the previous fiscal.
According to the budget proposals, DU will spend 31.80% of the total allocation on salary, 27.01% on allowances, 20.20% on goods and services, 14.76% on pension and retirement facilities, 2.61% on capital grant, and 2.30% on other grants.
Of the proposed budget, the University Grants Commission will provide Tk696.54 crore (83.74%) and Tk65 crore (7.81%) will come from the university's internal sources.
So, there will be a deficit of Tk70.25 crore (8.45%) in FY22.
Decision on SSC and HSC exams soon: Education Minister
Minister of Education Dr. Dipu Moni has said that a decision regarding SSC and HSC examination would be announced soon.
The education minister said this while addressing a virtual program on distributing stipends and tuition fees among 43 lac students on Tuesday.
Also read: HSC, SSC exams to be held on brief syllabuses: Dipu Moni
She also advised the students not to be worried about SSC and HSC examinations.
She said, "We have published the results of the SSC examination held in 2020 and evaluated HSC results in an alternative method.
Also read: HC questions exclusion of SSC-2016 passed students from admission test "
Sixteen students from 10 educational institutions from four upazilas took part in the virtual stipend giving ceremony.
Deputy Minister for Education Barrister Mahibul Hasan Chowdhury was present as a special guest at the ceremony.
5 conditions set for online recruitment in public universities
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has allowed online recruitment tests in public universities along with in-person exams on five conditions.
A letter signed by UGC Secretary (Additional Responsibilities) Dr Ferdous Zaman was sent to the vice-chancellors and registrars of all public universities Sunday in this connection.
Educational institutions are now conducting most of their operational activities, including classes, online amid the pandemic. Universities will be able to conduct online recruitment tests and interviews based on five conditions.
Red RU to hold exams scrapped in 2019, 2020 in-person from this month
Firstly, online recruitment tests and interviews cannot violate any law governing the institution.
Second, the recruitment process must start through publishing an open circular based on the university's laws, statutes, and rules given the requirement of the concerned academic institution.
Third, for holding online recruitment tests and interviews, a policy must be put in place and approved by the university's syndicate. The policy must follow the recommendations of the university's academic council.
Read Barishal University: 82, inc. 40 teachers, earn promotions
Fourth, the audiovisual record of the online recruitment process, relating to tests and interviews, will have to be preserved by the university for at least two years.
Lastly, the original certificates and other paperwork of the selected applicants must be verified properly before appointing them.
Read WURI Ranking 2021: ULAB among global top 100 innovative universities
WURI Ranking 2021: ULAB among global top 100 innovative universities
University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) has been ranked in the global top 100 innovative universities in the 2021 World's Universities with Real Impact (WURI) ranking.
ULAB’s world standing was officially cited by the WURI founding director, project leader and Professor Emeritus of Seoul National University Moon Hwy-Chang in a virtual ceremony held on June 10 in Seoul, South Korea.
Read: Bangladesh universities nowhere in QS World University ranking
Professor Hwy-Chang announced that this year, ULAB is the only Bangladeshi university that has been placed among the top 100 universities.
WURI was created to evaluate the innovative programmes of universities and to measure the performance of universities in creating real value to society and providing opportunities for the future.
The ranking is composed of the Global Top 100 and the Top 50 ranking in each of the following categories: (1) Industrial Applications; (2) Entrepreneurship; (3) Social responsibility, ethics and integrity; (4) Student mobility and openness for exchange and collaboration; and (5) Crisis Management. Among these categories, ULAB placed itself 27th in the ‘Crisis Management’, 28th in the ‘Entrepreneurial Spirit’, and 39th in the ‘Ethical Value’ category.
Read:University students to be vaccinated for reopening dorms: UGC
ULAB’s acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Shamsad Mortuza lauded the resilience and team work of ULAB family that made this global endorsement possible.
Commenting on the success to UNB, he said, “The ranking will galvanize our commitment to change the ecology of higher education in Bangladesh."
ULAB’s WURI project leader Professor Jude William Genilo, Head of Media Studies and Journalism, said, “ULAB has always seen itself as a partner in community and nation building. It has an enabling environment that supports creativity and innovation. In the 2021 ranking, WURI recognized three of ULAB's programs as these are in line with its vision of active and practical learning; producing graduates that industry and society really needs.”
Read: DCCI inks MoU with ULAB for skill development, research
ULAB authorities expressed that this ranking is a manifestation of ULAB’s promise of utilizing its innovative online teaching and learning techniques in responding effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic. They added that ULAB will continue to offer its high-quality academic programmes online and ensure the continuity and reach of education to all its students.
The official results will be uploaded and available in the next few days in the official WURI website: http://www.wuri.world.
Bangladesh extends closure of educational institutions until June 30
The government has extended the ongoing closure of all the educational institutions of Bangladesh until June 30 considering the worsening coronavirus situation in the country.
The decision has been taken considering the safety of teachers, students and staff and imposition of lockdowns in different districts, Mohammad Abul Khayer, public relations officer of the Education Ministry, told UNB on Saturday.
Earlier on May 26, the government had decided to reopen the educational institutions, particularly primary, secondary and higher secondary ones, in the country on June 13 depending on the Covid situation. But the situation keeps worsening in the country, particularly in bordering districts.
Also read: Pros and Cons of Reopening Educational Institutions during Pandemic
Abul Khayer, however, said the online classes will continue as before.
The decision has been taken as per the directives of the National Technical Advisory Committee formed to fight Covid-19 in the country and it will remain applicable for Ebtedayee and Qawmi madrasas, too.
RU to hold exams scrapped in 2019, 2020 in-person from this month
The Rajshahi University authority has decided to hold the examinations in-person from June 20. The exams that were postponed in 2019, then in 2020 due to the pandemic, will all be held in two phases starting later this month.
The decisions came from a meeting held on Thursday between the university administration, deans of the faculties, chairpersons of the departments and directors of the institutes of the university.
Also read: DU to take exams online from July 1 if Covid situation remains unchanged
RU public relation office administrator professor Md. Ajijur Rahman informed this through a press release.
Engineering faculty dean professor Md. Ekramul Hamid said those examinations which were postponed in 2019 will start from June 20, and examinations from 2020 will be held from July 4.
Also read: All professional MBBS final exams postponed
Academic committees of each department will decide to make a routine for exams following the determined dates. They will shorten the syllabuses if needed, he added.
RU acting vice-chancellor professor Ananda Kumar Saha said dormitories of the university will open if the government instructs to that effect. Otherwise, the dormitories will remain closed.
Read Pros and Cons of Reopening Educational Institutions during Pandemic
Barishal University: 82, inc. 40 teachers, earn promotions
Barishal University witnessed a record number of promotions this week, of both academic and non-academic staff and officials.
The university registrar's office issued promotion letters to 40 teachers, 15 officials, 27 staff over Monday and Tuesday.
Although the bloated number has drawn attention to their eligibility, the university maintains only eligible personnel had been promoted following a proper process and policy.
Read Pros and Cons of Reopening Educational Institutions during Pandemic
A university official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the administration had formed a board to prepare a list of eligible persons for promotion. In fact several people who were also long due for promotions, again failed to make the cut. Some of them even made it as far as an oral exam that was part of the process.
Welcoming the university's move, Barisal University Officers Association President Bahauddin Golap said, "The university never saw the promotion of these many teachers, officials and staff at the same time."
Bahauddin did however call for some changes in the university's promotions policy.
Read JU treasurer to serve as next Pro-VC
Barishal University Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr Md Sadequl Arefin said, "Even before I joined, promotions of many, including teachers and officials, were stuck in a bottleneck. I wanted to solve the problem from the beginning. Although Covid-19 slowed down the process, I continued it following the upgradation policy."
About the ones who missed out on the recent promotion, Dr Sadequl said, "They could not be promoted even after attending the viva due to the upgradation policy."
In 2020, around 50 teachers were promoted even in the midst of the shutdown due to Covid-19. Two previous VCs were said to have held back on their promotions.
Teachers and staff who did not get promoted for a long time started demanding promotion almost as soon as Dr Sadequl joined as VC in November 2019.
Read RU students give 24-hr ultimatum for hall reopening