DU honours 62 academicians for research contributions

Dhaka University has honoured 62 academic staff and researchers who have received 2,000 or more citations on their Google Scholar profiles, recognising their outstanding research contributions and their role in enhancing the university’s international standing.

The awards were presented at a ceremony held at Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban on Thursday. Faculty deans, department chairmen, institute directors, proctors and senior university officials attended the event.

Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof ABM Obaidul Islam attended as the chief guest. The ceremony was presided over by Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) Prof Abdus Salam, while Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Prof Mohammad Almujaddade Alfasane and Treasurer Prof M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury attended as special guests.

Delivering the opening address, Prof Md Anwarul Islam of the Department of Information Science and Library Management gave a keynote presentation on the significance of research citations in assessing academic quality and establishing global recognition.

Addressing the ceremony, Vice-Chancellor Prof ABM Obaidul Islam congratulated the awardees and emphasised that researchers must play a pivotal leadership role in transforming Dhaka University into a truly research-driven institution and improving its position in international academic rankings.

“It is not possible to elevate Dhaka University to its desired global standing by relying solely on state funding,” Prof Obaidul Islam said. “To achieve this, active cooperation from university alumni and industry partners is crucial.”

Outlining several strategic initiatives being undertaken by the university administration to improve education and research standards, the vice-chancellor said work was underway to formulate a comprehensive 20-year academic development plan.

The administration is also working to establish two dedicated funds -- a Tk1,000-crore research fund and a Tk1,000-crore student welfare fund, he said.

“We have efforts to develop robust industry-academia linkages and strengthen alumni networks. We have dynamics through joint international academic ventures, alongside ‘Lab to Lab’ and ‘Researcher to Researcher’ collaborative frameworks with leading global universities and research institutes,” he said.

He urged the academic community to expand international research partnerships to increase the scope and impact of the university’s scholarly work.

Speaking on behalf of the honourees, former Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Development Studies Prof Niaz Ahmed Khan, Prof Mohammad Moinul Islam of Population Sciences, Prof Gausia Wahidunnesa Chowdhury of Zoology and Prof Kazi Matin Uddin Ahmed of Geology addressed the ceremony.