Kishoreganj University Hosts First National Conference, Draws Researchers from Over 15 Universities
Jahangir Shah Badshah
Kishoreganj University has reached a new milestone in expanding higher education and research. The university held a two day national academic conference for the first time. Teachers, researchers and students from more than 15 universities across the country joined the event, and they presented 52 research papers.
About 250 teachers, researchers and students took part. The conference ground buzzed with research based talks and exchanges on literature, film, urbanisation, colonialism, cultural identity and power relations. The conference was titled “Postcolonial Urban Modernity: Representations in Film and Fiction.” It took place at Kishoreganj University on 13 and 14 November. The English department of the university, Isha Khan International University and the Association of Teachers of Literatures in English, Bangladesh (ATLEB) organised it jointly.
The inaugural ceremony took place on the university campus on the afternoon of 13 November. Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Habibur Rahman was the chief guest. The special guests were Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. G. M. Shafiur Rahman and Treasurer Professor Dr. Md. Abdus Salam Akand. Registrar Ms. Nayla Yasmin also joined as a special guest. So did Professor Sarwar Jahan, Acting Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Isha Khan International University, and Mr. Badrul Haider Sohel, Head of the English department. Professor Md. Siddiq Ullah, Principal of the local Gurudayal Government College, was the last special guest.
In his opening speech on the first day, Professor Dr. Md. Habibur Rahman made an appeal. He asked the teachers, researchers and representatives from renowned public and private universities, including Dhaka, Rajshahi and Jahangirnagar, to guide and help the young teachers of Kishoreganj University in their research. He said the university has set a target for its teachers to publish at least three research papers a year, so that the quality and amount of research grow. If a teacher publishes a paper in a recognised journal, the university administration will pay the full cost of publication. He said money will not be a barrier, whether the cost is Tk 20,000 or Tk 25,000.
The Vice Chancellor also shared the university’s plans to widen its academic reach. He said the university will soon open departments of Economics, Law, and Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE). This will increase chances for higher education and widen the range of subjects taught.
Professor Kaiser Hamidul Haque presented the keynote paper. He is the Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB). In his paper “Some Dhaka Tales…”, he described the city life of Dhaka, the experience of its citizens and the many sided realities of the city. Professor Dr. Masud Akhtar chaired the session. He is the Director of the Institute of English and Other Languages at Rajshahi University.
The main theme of the conference was a many sided study of postcolonial urban modernity. Researchers shared their views and analysis on how literature and film show the city. They also covered the structure of power, class divides, cultural identity and different sides of social change. The talks gave special weight to the idea that a city is not only a geographic or architectural space. It is also a complex field of social, political and cultural realities.
On the second day, 14 November, the participating teachers, researchers and students presented their papers in different academic sessions all day. Each session had talks on the subject of the research, its theory and its findings. It also had questions and answers and an exchange of views. This created a new chance for academic contact and sharing of knowledge among researchers from different universities.
Students of the English department of Kishoreganj University also took a notable part in this national event. Besides presenting research papers, they worked as volunteers. They helped manage the conference, assisted guests and participants, and ran the sessions. This gave the students of the department a chance to show their interest and ability in research at the national academic level.
Organisers gave certificates and prizes at the end to recognise the paper presentations. The event ended after two days of research based talks and exchanges. Assistant Professor Mr. Md. Rakibul Alam spoke about the overall arrangement. He is the Chairman of the English department and the president of the conference. He said, “This conference is an important milestone for higher education and research in Kishoreganj. We are happy that, with the sincere help of everyone involved, we could complete such a national level academic event successfully.”
The organisers say such conferences will strengthen research based cooperation and academic contact among higher education institutions across the country. They will also encourage young researchers to think, analyse and research in new ways. The organisers also say the event will open new areas of research into how literature and film relate to current social, political and cultural realities.
The organisers thanked everyone who helped make the conference a success. They named the guests, keynote speaker, session chairs, teachers, researchers, students and volunteers. They also thanked journalists for spreading news of the conference in the media.
