Mah Alam, JU

Jahangirnagar University hosted the first Graduate Research Conference more than five decades after its establishment.

The Faculty of Social Sciences, in collaboration with the Faculty of Law, organized the conference at the university's social sciences building on Tuesday.

This year, the conference commenced its edition with the title of ‘Navigating Complexity: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Social Challenges.’ During the day-long conference, a total of 70 researchers presented their research abstracts into nine different categories across the different universities of the country.

Md. Abdul Mannan, one of the researchers' abstract presenters of the conference and a fresh graduate of JU Urban and Regional Planning Department, had been engaging himself with academic research since he was honours final year student of the university.

However, he expressed his indifference about any kind of academic research in the early stages of his university life. But while he became a student of honours final year, he engaged himself and felt enormous interest to conduct research in the academic arena.

“I think academic research should be the one of the major identities of a university student during the student life. When I was a fresher in conducting research, I was encouraged by my supervisors which led me to continue my research work and to pursue higher study abroad,” said Mannan while expressing his initial feeling after being stood first in two different categories of presenting research abstract.

The participants of the conference, faculties and students of the university termed the initiatives as a positive move and beneficial for the researchers in the sense of academic arena. They hope it will continue from the following year.

Echoing the same, Prof Mohammad Tarikul Islam, Professor in Government and Politics, Jahangirnagar University and Visiting Scholar of Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard said, “The first graduate research conference was helpful and productive. Young researchers benefited from the day-long conference, others to collaborate with on future studies, broadening their perspectives, and being exposed to various viewpoints.”

“Scholars have also benefited from the opportunity to network and get enlightening guidance and criticism from academics and professionals in related fields,” he added.

Earlier, on Tuesday morning, JU VC Prof Md Nurul Alam was present at the inaugural session of the conference as the chief guest while acting Dean Prof Bashir Ahmed presided over the conference as convener.

JU VC inaugurated the conference around 10:00 am at the Teachers’ Lounge of the Social Sciences Building.

While addressing the inaugural ceremony, JU VC Prof Md Nurul Alam said, “JU jointly ranked first with BUET for education and research among the Asian universities by Times Higher Education. It is a significant achievement for the university. Research has a great contribution to achieve this excellence. For this reason, I thanked all those who engaged in research activities.”

JU VC also declared to organize a conference centrally in the university in a wide-spread manner where the different faculties and institutes will participate from the following year, aiming to make the university a center of excellence in the academic and research arena.

Prof Anarul Haque Mondol of Geography and Environment Department conducted the inaugural session while deans of different faculties, directors of different institutes, faculties and students of university’s different departments, participants, were present among others.