education
BUET hosts 'Robo Carnival' for schools, colleges, varsities
The Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has launched a two-day long 'Robo Carnival' to inspire students to make robots to make smart Bangladesh with the slogan 'Build Robot for Smart Bangladesh'.
The two-day long carnival starts at the ECE building around 10 am today (January 19) and BUET vice Chancellor Dr Sattyaprashad Majumdar was the chief guest.
About 500 students, divided into 125 groups, from the different schools, colleges and universities of the country are taking part in the two-day carnival.
The carnival has been arranged to teach and inspire the students about different segments of Robotics like dust collecting robot competition, and firefighter robot competition.
Besides the firefighter robot and trash collector robot competition, a project showcasing part, a workshop on Robotics Simulation software and a robotics olympiad for the competitors have been arranged.
Tarikul Islam Tanvir, a student of Gopalganj Polytechnic Institute, who has developed an 'Earthquake digital safety system', said on his project: "We know that when an earthquake happens, many people die from being electrocuted. The safety system that I have developed will reduce the danger of being electrocuted in case any earthquake happens."
"This safety system can detect earthquake vibration automatically and immediately after it cuts off the electricity lines and water supply lines. Besides, it sends automatic calls to alert the user about the earthquake. This system can be installed in every residential house and industrial sector but if the device is installed in district supply lines then there is no need to install the system separately in individual houses or industrial factories," Tanvir added.
At the initial stage, BUET students took initial tests and presentations of the projects and later BUET teachers evaluated those projects.
Read more: Ameca: World’s Most Realistic Advanced Humanoid Robot AI Platform
UGC asks 4 private universities to stop enrollment for failing to fulfill conditions
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked four private universities not to admit new students for their failure to fulfill some of its conditions.
Those universities are Prime Asia University, Stamford University, Bangladesh, Asha University and Victoria University, said a press release of UGC on Thursday.
Besides, the UGC issued a public notice on the steps taken against 18 private universities as the tenure of their temporary certificates has expired and they have failed to transfer their activities to permanent campuses within the timeframe.
The four universities were asked to fully stop student enrollment for failure to shift activities to permanent campuses and not taking any visible initiative to build permanent campuses.
Apart from this, new student enrollment at temporary campuses of State University and Manarat University will completely remain suspended but it will continue at its permanent campus.
In the notice, Dhaka International University, Royal University, Southeast University, City University, The Millennium University and Bangladesh University were given time to transfer their activities to permanent campuses by March 31 this year.
If the universities fail to comply with the UGC directives within the stipulated time, the student admission to the institutions will remain halted and temporary campuses of the universities will be declared illeal.
Read more: Pvt universities’ permanent campuses: UGC to go tough as deadline ends on Dec 31
Brac University, University of Development Alternative, Green University, Uttara University, Progressive University and The People's University were asked to transfer their all activities by June 30 this year after noticing visible improvement in developing permanent campuses and their written commitments.
The student enrollment at those universities will be halted from July 1 this year once they fail comply with the directive.
Earlier on April 11 last year, the UGC issued notice asking to take measures regarding the expiry of temporary certificate and transfer to permanent campuses by December 31 last year.
As per the ‘Private University Act-2010’, there is an obligation to transfer all kinds of activities to a permanent campus within 12 years of its establishment.
Read more: UGC warning private unis to maintain standards: Biswajit Chanda
Raise own funds for development: PM Hasina urges public universities
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday called upon the public universities to raise their own funds through the alumni associations for their own development and welfare programmes.
“Every university has an alumni association and through this they can create their own funds for the development of universities and the implementation of projects for the welfare of students,” she said.
The premier made this call while the members of the Standing Committee of Bangladesh University Parishad (Bangladesh University Council) comprising vice chancellors of various public universities,called on her at her official residence Ganabhaban.
Read more: ‘Always a proud moment to see our girls doing so well’: PM tells MasterChef finalist Kishwar
After the meeting, Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary KM Sakhawat Moon briefed the reporters.
Placing importance on maintaining good relations with students the PM said, besides studies students should be made useful for the development of the country.
“Students of Bangladesh are very talented, if they are given a little chance, they can bring a higher degree from abroad after completing their university studies,” she said.
To this end, she called upon the university teachers to be more responsible and attentive to make the students suitable.
She said that to fulfill the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to build a golden Bengal, golden boys and girls should be raised in the universities.
The prime minister said that university students should be involved in sports, cultural activities and creative activities in addition to studies so that they stay away from terrorism and militancy.
Read more: No condition for IMF loan to Bangladesh: PM Hasina tells Parliament
For this purpose, Hasina urged to take the initiative to start the inter-university sports competition again.
She recalled that once upon a time there was rampant use of weapons in university shootings, but after Awami League came to power, there is no clanking of weapons and terrorism and militancy in the country have been suppressed with a firm hand.
Pointing out that the government has given importance to the development of the skills of the youth, she said that steps have been taken to ensure that the youth can become entrepreneurs and provide jobs to others instead of chasing jobs after studying.
PM Hasina said that whenever Awami League comes to power, the rate and quality of education in the country increases.
In this context, she mentioned that her government has given importance to development of education, research, production and excellence as well as skill development.
At the same time, the prime minister said that the government is gradually moving the country towards industrialization by maintaining the balance of the environment.
Read more: AL never considers what it gets in return of working for the people: PM Hasina
Hasina said that the government has developed Digital Bangladesh under the guidance of her information and communication technology advisor Sajib Wazed Joy.
She expressed her determination to build a developed, prosperous and smart Bangladesh in 2041 by maintaining this continuity of development.
In the event, the vice-chancellors of government universities raised various problems of their respective universities and the PM gave a patient hearing with assurance to solve those gradually.
NCTB gives corrections for 9 mistakes in 3 textbooks of new curriculum
National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has provided corrections for nine mistakes they found in three of the textbooks distributed for this year.
NCTB issued a notification in this regard on January 15 and posted the corrections on their website.
The mistakes were spotted in three textbooks of classes 9-10.
Four mistakes were found in the ‘History of Bangladesh and World Civilization’, three in ‘Bangladesh and Global Studies’ while two in ‘Civics and Citizenships’.
Read more: Zafar Iqbal admits plagiarism charge in new textbook, expresses disappointment
NCTB provided all the corrections in detail on their website.
Earlier, eminent writer and academic Md Zafar Iqbal and Professor Hasina Khan have expressed their disappointment over the plagiarised contents found in the new class 7 science textbook edited by themselves.
The writers associated with editing the book also accepted their responsibility in a statement issued on Monday.
As part of the new curriculum from this year, science textbooks for classes 6 and 7 have been printed and distributed to students as 'Anusandhani Path'.
In an article published in the daily Prothom Alo, a complaint was raised over copying some sections of this book from the National Geographic educational site.
Read more: NCTB chair, member again summoned over distortion of history in textbooks
“Comparing this particular part of the book and the same text on the website, the allegation appears to us to be true,” they said in the statement.
Zafar Iqbal admits plagiarism charge in new textbook, expresses disappointment
Eminent writer and academic Md Zafar Iqbal and Professor Hasina Khan have expressed their disappointment over the plagiarised contents found in the new class 7 science textbook edited by themselves.
The writers associated with editing the book also accepted their responsibility in a statement issued on Monday.
As part of the new curriculum from this year, science textbooks for classes 6 and 7 have been printed and distributed to students as 'Anusandhani Path'.
Read more: NCTB chair, member again summoned over distortion of history in textbooks
In an article published in vernacular daily Prothom Alo, a complaint was raised over copying some sections of this book from the National Geographic educational site.
“Comparing this particular part of the book and the same text on the website, the allegation appears to us to be true,” they said in the statement.
“Although we are not responsible for writing that part of the chapter, we acknowledge that the responsibility lies with us as editors.”
Writing a textbook involves many authors whose hard work and dedication results in the publication of the book. In particular, a kind of responsibility is expected from these authors in the preparation of national textbooks, said the teachers.
“It is a matter of disappointment and dismay for our entire team if such allegations are found to be true about any writer's work.”
The teachers assured that necessary revisions of the book will certainly be made in the next edition.
Read more: Paper, printing quality of free textbooks good: Education Minister
An experimental version of the book has been published this year and there is room for considerable refinement and editing from the coming academic year.
“So any rational opinion beside the mentioned complaint will be taken seriously and the necessary changes or modifications of the textbook will be made,” said the editor of the textbook.
No JSC, JDC exams from now on
The examinations for Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dakhil Certificate (JDC) for the 2022 and 2023 sessions have been cancelled, and the two exams will no longer be held as the government of Bangladesh has moved to implement the new curriculum
A press release, signed by Deputy Secretary of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Division Akther Unnisa Shiuly, confirmed this on Monday (January 16, 2023).
Also read: New curriculum books may contain mistakes: Dipu Moni
“No provision was kept for holding the JSC, JDC or board exams in line with the ‘National Curriculum Outline-2021’, in hence the decision to suspend the exams (JSC, JDC) can be considered,” the release said.
Apart from this, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the decision, it added.
Read More: 18 CU students suspended over clashes, vandalism and harassment of journalists
New curriculum books may contain mistakes: Dipu Moni
Education Minister Dipu Moni has said that the new books provided this year under the new curriculum are on a trial basis, conceding they may contain mistakes.
She said this while addressing a discussion meeting on the distribution of educational gifts to students and the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution of the 21st century and building a Smart Bangladesh organized by the Bangladesh Chhatra League at Swoparjit Independence Square of Dhaka University, where she was the chief guest on Saturday evening.
The education minister said trial version books have been provided to 33000 institutions across the country this year, but the books under the new curriculum that have been handed over to the students of classes 1, 2, 6 and 7 may contain errors.
Constant feedback will be received from teachers, students, parents and educators and based on their feedback, amendments will be made throughout the year if any mistakes are found, she added.
Read: Paper, printing quality of free textbooks good: Education Minister
She urged all to cooperate to make the initiative a success, if any disagreement, discomfort or objections with the content are found.
“We have formulated a felicitous curriculum aiming to achieve 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which is our international commitment. Education is at the center of the 17 goals of this sustainable development goal. If we can achieve quality and inclusive education, then we can easily achieve the remaining 16 goals," added the minister.
The education minister said that Bangladesh is going to become a developed and prosperous country by 2041 under the leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina.
"Bangabandhu did what he said and his daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also did what she said. She said she would build a digital and middle-income Bangladesh, and she did it. Today we have become a developing country under her leadership and by 2041 we will become a developed, prosperous and smart Bangladesh under her leadership," she promised.
18 CU students suspended over clashes, vandalism and harassment of journalists
Chittagong University (CU) suspended 18 students for separate terms following several incidents including clashes, vandalism and harassment of journalists on the university campus.
The CU authorities suspended them on Monday night after a virtual meeting of the Board of Residence Health and Disciplinary Committee of the university, said the university's Proctor Dr Rabiul Hasan Bhuiyan on Tuesday at midnight.
Of them, Md Jobayer Hossain, an activist of Chhatra Adhikar parishad, was suspended for two years.
The others are: Tasfia Jasarat, deputy information and research secretary of CU BCL unit; Arshil Azim Niloy of the Public Administration department; Shoaib Mohammad Atik of the Anthropology department; Hasan Mahmud of Sociology department; Shahidul Islam of Education and Research department; Anik Das of Sanskrit department; Ayan Kanti Sarkar of Islamic History department; Labib Saeed Fayyaz of Economics department; Sifatul Islam of History department; Md Mobarak Hossain, Nahidul Islam of Islamic History department; Amirul Haque Chowdhury of Finance department; Ikramul Haque of History department; Nayan Debnath of Philosophy department; Sakhawat Hossain of Bangla department; Mahmudul Hasan of Islamic History department and Mohammad Fahim of Botany department.
42 Islamic University students win Science and Technology Fellowship
Forty-two students of the Islamic University (IU) in Kushtia have won the Science and Technology Fellowship 2022-23 for special research under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Twenty-nine students from the biotechnology and genetic engineering department, six from applied chemistry and chemical engineering, and three students from mathematics received the fellowship, IU acting registrar HM Ali Hasan said on Thursday.
Also, two students from the electrical and electronic engineering department and one each from the statistics and applied nutrition and food technology departments were selected for the fellowship, he added.
Each student will get Tk54,000 under the fellowship programme, Ali said.
Dhaka University signs MoU with Istanbul University for partnership, exchanges
Dhaka University (DU) and the Istanbul University of Turkey have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in teaching and research, exchange of academics and students, and partnership in scholarly publications.
DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Md Akhtaruzzaman and Istanbul University Rector Professor Mahmut AK signed the agreement Wednesday. Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen was also present at the online programme.
Masud Bin Momen said: "The results of such initiatives are very positive and far-reaching, which can help further accelerate the political, economic and educational cooperation between the two countries."
Professor Mahmut said: "Many Bangladeshi students are now studying at Istanbul University. The signing of the MoU will increase the educational and research cooperation between the two universities, which will elevate the friendly bilateral ties a step further."
Read more: DU, UPSI sign MoU to set up Centre for Malay Studies
Mohammed Nore-Alam, consul general at the Consulate General of Bangladesh in Istanbul, hoped that Bangladesh-Turkey ties would be further deepened and strengthened through the initiative.