International seminar held at DU
A day-long international seminar on ‘Making Pluralism Possible: The Promise and Challenge of Religious Peace-building in South Asia’ was held at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban auditorium of Dhaka University (DU) yesterday. The Centre for Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue (CIID) of DU, the Department of Economics and Social Sciences of BRAC University, Berkley Centre for Religion, Peace and World Affairs of Georgetown University and World Faiths Development Dialogue, USA, jointly organised the event.
DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique inaugurated the seminar as the chief guest with director of CIID Dr Fazrin Huda in the chair.
Georgetown University Prof Katherine Marshall and Chairperson of Economics and Social Sciences Department of BRAC University Dr Mahabub Hossain, among others, addressed it. Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique stressed inculcation of culture of dialogue among the followers of various faiths in order to foster congenial inter-religious commitment in relation to spirituality. "We should eliminate the exclusivist and reductionist proclivities towards other religions,” he pointed out.
He said, Bangladesh is a role model of inter-religious and intercultural harmony.
"We all live in this country peacefully in environment of many different religions. Our state policy is secularism. Our constitutions guarantees equality to all citizens of the republic irrespective of faith, caste, creed, colour, economic, social, ideological or political status," the VC added.
He also mentioned Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had always emphasised the importance of secular state policy in the common interest of religious harmony and integration in the country and the world.
Scholars from USA, UK, India, Indonesia, Myanmar and Bangladesh participated in the seminar.
KU admission tests on Dec 11,12
The admission tests of the first year honours courses at various departments under the academic session 2015-2016 of Khulna University (KU) will be held on December 11 and 12, said KU a press release.
The release added, the online admission process began on September13 and will continue till October 30.
The admission seekers have been asked to apply by SMS through ‘prepaid Teletalk mobile phone’ during the period.
A student will have to fill in an application form and submit it as per instructions on the website. The decision came at the general admission committee meeting held on September 9 as per the recommendations of the university’s dean committee meeting with Vice Chancellor of KU Prof Dr Md Fayek-Uzzaman in the chair.
The admission seekers may also have all the information about the admission tests on the notice board, registrar office and the university website (www.ku.ac.bd), the release further said.
Meanwhile, two new disciplines have been introduced in the 2015-2016 academic session.
The disciplines are Human Resources Management and Mass Communication and Journalism, said the press release.
SUST reopens today
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) will reopen today after 16-day Eid-ul-azha vacation.
The vacation started on September 18 and continued till October 3. All academic and administrative activities will resume today.
Residential students have already started to return to respective halls and messes.
IU classes resume today
Classes and examinations of various departments of Islamic University in Kushtia will resume today after 16 days of Eid-ul-Ajha vacation.
Earlier, different residential halls of the university were reopened on Friday at 9.00 am and offices on Saturday, campus sources said.
Meanwhile, the students have started coming to their residential halls after the vacation. The university went on the vacation on September 18.
The campus of Islamic University in Kushtia returned to its normal form on Sunday amid the presence of thousands of students as its academic activities resumed after 16 days of closure.
ULAB holds freshers’ reception
University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh organised its fall semester freshers' reception on its own campus at Dhanmondi in the capital yesterday. Emphasising ULAB's missions of sustainability, active learning and liberal arts practice, the orientation consisted of mixed media and video presentations about ULAB's mission, code of conduct, handbook, library, career service centre and other facilities.
Quiz games were sprinkled throughout presentations to encourage learning through fun. ULAB's Sangskriti Sangshad performed the ULAB Theme song for students. ULAB Vice Chancellor Professor Imran Rahman called upon the students to reach higher positions through knowledge.
He also introduced the heads of the departments: Prof Kaiser Hamidul Haq of English, Prof Muhammad Ibrahim of General Education, Dr Jude Genilo of Media Studies and Journalism, Dr Sazzad Hossain of Computer Science and Engineering, Professor Rezaul Karim Mazumder of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering and Professor William H Derrenger of the School of Business.