Research in universities
The planning minister has rightly asked the universities to create more opportunities for advanced research within the country. Research is essential in all fields, starting from history to medicine to archeology since in-depth study in each area always opens up new interpretation of the past and shows new ways to improve an existing system. Unfortunately, the term research in Bangladesh has a very limited understanding with most believing that only those who are academics and elderly concentrate on research. Nothing can be more inaccurate because research starts not at the university but at an early age in school when children are guided to assess, evaluate any historical fact by themselves through going to the library and by consulting a variety of materials.
This habit grows later in the life when at high school, the tendency to seek several angles to one incident is inculcated. Sadly, in Bangladesh, the practice is to impose the teachers opinion on the students, depriving them of trying to form their own opinion by studying and looking at several accounts of one event. The culture of imposing one view survives well in to the university days when students follow the set guideline, never trying to ask questions or seek a different explanation. Thus the desire to research never develops. To add to the problem, those who actually are into analysing and assessing, opt to go abroad. In most cases, they decide to remain overseas and when their research creates a stir, there is an effort made in Bangladesh to find some link with the person.
This is hardly an ideal situation. Students should be encouraged to be creative, original and form their own views rather than memorising other peoples theories and regurgitating them on exam papers. For research to have attraction, the large journal section of the universities should be opened up to students and if possible, making creative and novel concepts integral to academic life. Research in archeology, social science, liberation war, evolution of Dhaka since independence and social habits of people in the last 47 years are fascinating topics which can reveal startling information. The subjects for research are countless and each area has riveting aspects that are either lost or have not been detected as yet.
The universities in Bangladesh, both private and public, should encourage research and, with funding from corporate houses plus multi nationals, provide financial support to students who are engaged in the work.
