100 YEARS OF DHAKA UNIVERSITY
The establishment that one goes to for schooling is regularly credited with the honorific title institute of matriculation, in a real sense signifying “liberal or supporting mother”. The expression “place of graduation studiorum” (feeding mother of studies) was first utilized in 1088 as an adage by the most seasoned college in the Western world, the University of Bologna. Alma (feeding/sustaining), a customary modifier utilized for a few goddesses in traditional folklore, was appropriated to represent the Virgin Mary in Christianity by the Catholic priests answerable for the formation of the college. Colleges since the time have been viewed as mother figures, and the “person who is sustained”— for example an alumni—is, hence, alluded to as a graduate.
The University of Dhaka (DU), presently praising its centennial, isn’t my institute of matriculation. I joined there as an employee in 2011, in the wake of serving 17 years at another state funded college, Jahangirnagar University (JU). At the hour of my enrollment, the then bad habit chancellor revealed to me that I was the first non-DU understudy to be enlisted by the English office in its 90 years’ set of experiences. While there are motivations to be pleased with such an arrangement, it is characteristic of an elite and separate nature of the college, which is a long way from great. At an individual level, I had a long list of motivations to be pleased however, particularly on the grounds that practically the entirety of my instructors at JU were from the college I joined. The place of graduation of the individuals who ingrained in me the enthusiasm for advanced education is DU. In that sense, DU is my fabulous place of graduation. By and large, DU stays a mother establishment for any remaining foundations in Bangladesh. Behind the outstanding development in the quantity of colleges, the mark of the most established college is foremost. That is the recorded right of being the main college in the country.
The mother similitude is further adept for Dhaka University as it has been the site that supported the introduction of a country state. The superb part of understudy fight, scholarly help in making public cognizance, and a definitive penance made by the instructors and understudies the same made Dhaka University the focal point of the quake that introduced the freedom of the country in 1971. A comparative upsurge during the 90s finished the totalitarian system that was gagging our public opportunity. There has been a new inclination, in any case, to separate the historical backdrop of the college in pre-and post-autonomy classes. The rumination over the initial 50 years of the college unavoidably prompts the insulting of the college in its subsequent stage. The assignment in world positioning, the absence of vision in initiative, insensitive comments by people in critical administrative roles, the information on educators occupied with deceptive exercises, including copyright infringement and debasement, might be refered to as guides to propose the descending slide. As an individual from the brotherhood, I can’t avoid my duty of not doing what’s needed to refute these allegations.
What troubles me, nonetheless, is the general, overgeneralised cases to excuse the site of public pride! This is regularly done by individuals who have been sustained by this very college prior to leaving upon separated professions somewhere else. I think that its tacky when pundits resort to parodying instead of useful analysis. In the event that you have a maturing mother who needs support, our way of life requests that we deal with her—not send her to an old home or outcast. The absence of possession is a stressing sign—and that, as far as I might be concerned, is the best shortcoming of the college.
Every one of the incredible colleges of the world flourish in light of their solid graduated class encouraging group of people. They get their industry backing to improve research coordinated effort, subsidizing and entry level position openings for understudies, and academic contributions for the development of a college. I’m certain this is being done in numerous casual channels through departmental drives of Dhaka University. There has not been any conventional cycle to include the perspectives on the partners, be that as it may. One may make reference to the standard of enrolled graduates in the University Senate; notwithstanding, the politicization of the senate has diminished the body to a simple stepping organization during the spending meeting in a monetary year and a VC-choosing office in each jump year.
To believe that the disasters lie just in the second 50% of the college’s presence is an error. A 1929 report by the Hartog Committee, led by the college’s first bad habit chancellor Philip Joseph Hartog (1920-25), makes reference to the “waste and incapability” of the instructive framework that was at first attempting to isolate its requirements along strict lines. Educator A.G. Stock’s diary discusses the wretched norm of English and calls attention to different peculiarities in the affirmation and assessment measures.
While there is an appeal in fantasy making encompassing the past of a college through refering to the names of some big name teachers who were important for its initial days, the interest presently is to ensure that the college reclassifies its motivation. I recall the executive in her debut discourse denoting the hundred-year festivities of Dhaka University asked the specialists to think of an essential vision. I realize that a devoted group is chipping away at that procedure paper. There is a public accreditation chamber that has drafted a public quality structure under the umbrella of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
These methodologies are set to be received to benchmark the colleges against worldwide norms. The test, notwithstanding, is to guarantee a nearby and native kind of instruction. The models settled upon are West-inclining, keeping the global boundaries endorsed by abroad advisors. The uniqueness of Dhaka University should be featured by the partners concerned. These incorporate present and previous understudies, employees, organization, and businesses. Every one of them should meet up to choose what is useful for the organization. Dhaka University should turn into a model organization for others the manner in which it was imagined by its originators.
It needs to advance and praise greatness for itself, yet in addition to serve society. Dhaka University’s advantages so far have been estimated in socio-social and political units. The genuine effect of the college will be felt once the college realigns its educational plans to coordinate instructing and learning with the requirements of bosses; its effect will be felt when it commits its exploration units to information creation and advancement for any kind of future family and supportability; its genuine effect will be felt when the citizens are guaranteed that the cash that they are adding to foster human resources is very much spent—that the alumni are outfitted with the information and ranges of abilities important to propel the college, the local area, and the nation forward. Considering such a dream, the graduated class of the college need to basically draw in with the college to set it up for its excursion ahead and secure its standing as their institute of matriculation.
Source: The Daily Star
