Calling for building a sustainable civilization with human values along with sustainable development, the third international conference, ‘Human values, creativity, innovation, and progress to build a smart generation for a smart Bangladesh, has started at Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University. In the conference, it was also urged to use the newly created knowledge for the welfare of society and the country through the exchange of knowledge and experience.
Bangladesh University Grants Commission Chairman (Additional Duty) and Member Professor Dr. Muhammad Alamgir. Eminent teachers, students, and researchers from different parts of the country, including the USA, Indonesia, and India, are participating in this two-day conference.
In the opening ceremony, the chief patron of the conference and the vice chancellor of Nazrul University, Prof. Dr. Soumitra Shekhar, said, Since joining this university, I have declared education, research, and development as the motto to run the university. When I took charge of this university, its position was 39 in the ranking of UGC. That figure has improved over the past two years and is now 14. Research has a role in this development. Research is not just something to do at home. It also needs to be shared with others. An international conference is a great event for enhancing the quality of research and the exchange of views among scholars with other universities. Nazrul University has decided to organize at least one international conference every year. For that purpose, an international conference was organized for the third time.
The Vice-Chancellor also said that international conferences on science, business administration, and law were held last year. This time it is about the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. Science has made a lot of progress. Recently, NASA has discovered 19 new galaxies in space. New business technologies have opened new business doors. But this material improvement is not the only improvement. Human values should be established in the present world through new discoveries. So new thinking and research are very much needed in this field. Therefore, new research is necessary in the fine arts, sociology, and humanities. In this conference, new research sources will be raised in all these fields.
The honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for building a smart Bangladesh. This smart Bangladesh is definitely a humane Bangladesh. Therefore, we will be involved in human-smart Bangladesh through appropriate research, announced the vice chancellor.
In the speech of the chief guest, Professor Dr. Muhammad Alamgir said, We are heading towards the fourth industrial revolution. For this industrial revolution, we have to think about human values, the social sciences, and the fine arts, as well as the change in traditional scientific thinking. Everyone should strive towards sustainable development as well as building a civilization with human values.
One of the main attractions of the conference was the former vice chancellor of Rabindra Bharti University. Holy Sarkar said that if a university is at the marginal level, it is still a university. Because the newly created knowledge of the marginal university can be used for the welfare of the country, the nation, and even the world. Therefore, the university should focus on creating new knowledge and sharing that knowledge with the world.
Bangladesh Country Director of the International Foundation for Electoral System Tanyel B. Taisi, Ph.D., said, I feel very proud to attend the international conference organized by this university. I am looking forward to participating in various sessions of the conference as a researcher.
The rector of the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, Professor Dr. Adriana, said, I came to Bangladesh for the first time. I am very happy to come to Nazrul University for the first time on Nazrul’s memory-bless campus. I wish this conference an overall success. Thanks to the university administration for such a beautiful event. We are very interested in creating institutional linkages between our institution and this university.
In the opening session, a special guest speech was given by Treasurer Professor Dr. Ataur Rahman, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences. Md. Nazrul Islam, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor Dr. Musharrat Shabnam, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Professor Dr. Tapan Kumar Sarkar, and Registrar Agriculturist. Md. Humayun Kabir. The convener of the organizing committee gave a welcome speech. Zillur Rahman Paul.
It should be noted that the third international conference of Nazrul University has already created a stir among academicians and researchers. After the inaugural session, the researchers began presenting their papers in parallel sessions held at different locations across the campus. Dhaka University, Jagannath University, Jahangirnagar University, Rajshahi University, and other renowned universities in the country and abroad submitted a total of 250 papers for presentation at the conference. Out of that, 99 papers have been accepted. 17 papers were received from India and Somalia.
