PUST will be the ‘Oxford of the North’”Professor Dr. Al-Nakib
Chowdhury, Vice-Chancellor, Pabna University of Science and Technology
(PUST), opens up to daily sun about his mission and vision regarding the
university. The interview was taken by Ashim Kumar Paul
Professor Dr. Al-Nakib Chowdhury
Professor Dr. Al-Nakib Chowdhury
Sun: You have joined the university as the 3rd VC nearly nine-month
ago. What kind of challenges have you been facing in running the
university?
Dr. Al-Nakib: The challenges a new university faces
initially can be divided into two phases: Financial challenge and
infrastructural challenge. While the university is being expanded, more
than 13 departments are now running their activities and hopefully, 2-3
departments more will be added within few months. However, the
infrastructural development of the university already done cannot be
regarded as hopeful one. Now we are thinking to develop the existing
infrastructural situation within our limited resources. Financial
challenge is another major one. The more a new university expands its
activities, the more is needed the manpower. Therefore, we need more
manpower but here lies the challenge. Although my previous VCs have
recruited officials, with times, we need more. But until their
recruitments are approved, they cannot be given their wage. Therefore
the university has fallen into a dire financial crisis. For me, these
two challenges appear an acid test to beat.
Sun: How do you evaluate the university’s present standing?
Dr. Al-Nakib: If I consider the present status of the university, some
basic aspects should be reckoned: education and its quality, number of
students and teachers, ratio of students and teachers, number and
condition of library and laboratory. Naturally, a new university will
lag behind an established university since the facilities of laboratory
and library like an established university are almost unavailable here.
But I am trying my best to upgrade these facilities as soon as possible.
We are already trying to bring the entire university under automation.
If the entire campus of the university is digitalized, we can enjoy all
sorts of facilities across the world simply by sitting here. For
instance, it can be possible for our students to listen to the lectures
of the professors of MIT or a Nobel Laureate. Therefore, I have taken
the task of automation at first. And hopefully, the quality of our
students is praiseworthy. Those who are getting admitted here have good
academic result. Although our teachers are young, they are really
dedicated and trying to elevate the university on the top.
Sun:
Once you said to hold the undergraduate admission test of the university
at Dhaka but again forsook the idea. Why did you plan it and then why
did you withdraw your plan?
Dr. Al-Nakib: Last year, the
applicants were around 20000 while we have an intake of around 120
students each year. For this huge number of applicants, arranging
accommodation facility for both the students and their guardians stands
out a major problem. It is sad to see that many applicants who came to
attend admission test had to pass night on street. Especially female
students fell into a dire crisis as there was a security issue for them.
These experiences left us to consider holding the undergraduate
admission test of the university at Dhaka University or BUET. It is
because, big universities offer big opportunities for us to learn how to
arrange a big admission test. Therefore, if we can ensure transparent
and flawless examination system within a large campus, it will also add
name and fame to our university. Hence, our teachers did also agree. But
our students comprise of more than 50% local ones and they oppose our
plan. Also the local authorities of exam centres have ensured us to hold
fair and transparent admission test. Besides, the local people and
representatives have assured us to fix the accommodation crisis for both
the applicants and their guardians. Since we want to hold fair
admission test and if it can be done in Pabna, these supports and
efforts are really precious and most welcome. In fact, these social and
administrative supports helped us withdraw our plan.
Sun: Of late, a talk has been held between University of Bedfordshire, UK and PUST to sign a MoU. What is its progress?
Dr. Al-Nakib: If a university, usually, wants to go to gradation level,
it needs to build a relationship with other universities of the
developed countries so that our students can enjoy the library and
laboratory facilities of those universities and our teachers can avail
of PhD facilities. Therefore when I joined PUST, I realized, if our
university wants to be a modern and well-facilitated one, we need to
have collaboration with the universities of the developed countries. It
will facilitate both our students and teachers since they can take
higher studies and conduct research. And when they will return to the
university, their learning, experiences will be of help for us. I have
completed the primary discuss with University of Bedfordshire and the
result is very positive. Accordingly, we are planning to sign a MoU with
them.
Sun: You have recently attended American Chemical Society Symposium. Will you please share your experience during this visit?
Dr. Al-Nakib: The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific
society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in
the field of chemistry. It is the world’s largest scientific society and
one of the leading sources of authoritative scientific information.
Only a short-listed world famous scientists and Nobel Laureates get
invitation to join the symposium. This year ACS invited five renowned
scientists from the Asia Pacific region and I was one of them. I
delivered my lecture on the agriculture of Bangladesh. My lecture
included views on how to make foods safe by using nanotechnology and how
chemistry can play to secure our food, how more researches to secure
our food can be conducted. More importantly, when I was invited to
deliver my lecture, the announcement of ‘Professor Dr. Al-Nakib
Chowdhury, belongs to PUST’ made me feel proud because in such a
renowned place among the famous scientists, my university’s name is
announced. However, following my lectures, the prominent researchers and
scientists showed their keen interest about PUST, its students and
teachers, curricula, infrastructural development, the laboratory
facilities etc. Even they showed further interest to work with our
teachers and students. In fact, my joining at the symposium brings the
recognition of the research done at PUST, the recognition of the
university, the opportunity for our students and teachers to conduct
research in future. In a word, I believe, it is a great achievement for
us.
Sun: What are the things the government should do now for the betterment of the university?
Dr. Al-Nakib: Bangladesh government has taken initiatives to develop
the quality of tertiary education. In doing so, the Ministry of
Education, with the assistance of the World Bank, has undertaken a
Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP). The project aims
at improving the quality of teaching-learning and research capabilities
of the tertiary education institutions through encouraging both
innovation and accountability and by enhancing the technical and
institutional capacity of the higher education sector. The University
Grants Commission of Bangladesh is the implementing agency of the
project. It is a good news that many universities across the country are
now enjoying the world class library and laboratory facilities. If
every university would get the opportunity, the vision and purpose of
the government to change the academic arena along with making a digital
Bangladesh would be implemented. However, the facilities have started
and spread out. I believe, if the fund from WB unremittingly flows, our
dreams will be fulfilled.
Sun: Every graduated and degree holder
student under the universities eagerly waits for convocation program.
Already first batch of the university has passed out and few days ago,
the Rag Day of second batch was celebrated. What is your initiative to
hold the convocation programme at the university?
Dr. Al-Nakib: I
also want Convocation to be held. Although now thirteen departments are
continuing their activities, only four departments of first batch have
been graduated. Since Convocation is a big arrangement where generally
honourable Chancellor and other respectable guests are present, I want
that more students join the Convocation. Besides, I want to award our
meritorious students who will be award by our honourable Chancellor.
Therefore, I have talked to the Education minister regarding the issue
and he assured me to take it seriously. I hope, our Convocation program
will be held in the near future.
Sun: Many students come from
different corners across the country and they face the accommodation
problems. What are the initiatives to address the problems?
Dr.
Al-Nakib: Already two residential halls are under construction: One for
male students and another for female ones and the construction process
is given to the Education Engineering Department (EED). According to
EED, it will take more a year to complete the construction. Although the
process is not in our hands, I personally look over the matter to
complete. Hopefully, before June 2015, we can get the two halls.
Meanwhile, the entire campus is facilitated with electricity which was
absent from the inception.
Sun: What is your call to the students of PUST?
Dr. Al-Nakib: I advice my students to be dreamers. Those who don’t
dream can’t achieve much success in life. And those who are graduating
out should be mindful of paying back their debt to the society, because
they have received an education on taxpayers’ money, irrespective of
rich and poor. The society and the people have expectation from you; you
must not let them down under any circumstances. And finally I would
call upon the students to love the country and serve it in the light of
education you received.
Sun: As the VC of the university, what are your future plans to keep the university ahead?
Dr. Al-Nakib: As I am promise-bound to ensure modern and globally
quality education, I want to turn this university into a modern, ideal
and proper educational institution. That’s why we need very expert and
experienced teachers alongside quality and appropriate laboratory. I
have suggested my teachers to keep a close contact with the senior and
notable professors of the renowned universities so that their teaching
methods and research procedures can be of help. At the same time, we
need smart and qualified officers who will run and maintain office
smartly and will plan for running a big family like this university. I
am sending my officers to training and they are being trained. I have
suggested my officers to take more professional degrees. In this way, I
am trying to turn my people into skilled manpower and materialize the
ultimate aim of the university. Along, help from the all walks of the
society is also needed. Therefore, I am trying to build a social
relationship by employing my university people so that more resources
can be collected and added to our limited one. While it is true that we
will run our university from the endowment of our government, we have to
consider government’s limitation. In this poor country, our honorable
Prime Minister has established twelve science and technology
universities that will generate more educated generations, more skilled
technologists. As the VC of this university, I believe, what our
honorable premier has endowed should be utilized in its fullest level.
If we can utilize this vision, then a worthy university will be here. At
the time of my joining here, I have dreamt that PUST will be the
‘Oxford of the North’. I am advancing with this vision. I seek your
support in this regard. Besides, I wish the name and fame of this
university is expanded around the world so that my students can feel
proud by uttering the name of the university.
Sun: Anything else that I did not ask?
Dr. Al-Nakib: After my joining at PUST, I have initiated to make the
university a modern one. In this regard, a project namely ‘Sheikh Rasel
Center of Excellence for Advance Research’ has been taken. If the
project can successfully be completed, the institute will be only one
center in the country where renowned professors around the world will
come, research and deliver
lectures. As a result, both our teachers and students will be immensely benefitted.