Celebrating the 7th Anniversary of Presidency University

Tina Umnia PRESIDENCY University steps into its 8th year of operation this year. To mark the auspicious occasion, the university arranged a number of programmes on July 21 and 22. Established in September 2003, Presidency University (PU) was set up with the vision of providing quality education for students at the lowest possible expense. The emphasis is given on creating an institution dedicated to excellence in teaching, research, training, and community services. To prove how committed the management and faculties are to attaining this goal, one only has to look at the profile of the management board, the line-up of advisors and faculty of the different departments, the curriculum being followed, and the various extra-curricular activities undertaken. The university's motto Quality education for a better life reflects this philosophy. The Presidency University Foundation consists of teachers, business leaders and retired government officers, who all feel that quality education is a key component to the nation's development, and want to provide the future generation, especially those of middle-income group, with opportunities for higher education of excellent quality. The Chairperson of the Board is none other than Ms. Rokia Afzal Rahman, former advisor to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh in 2001. The Vice Chairmen are Mr. Moazzam Hossain, Chairman of Hosaf Group, Mr. Jahangir Alamin, Managing Director of Shamsul Alamin Group, and Mr. Nasir Ahmed Chowdhury, Managing Director of Green Delta Insurance Co. Ltd. The Board's Treasurer is Professor Mahbub Ahmed, Director of National Bank. Moreover, there are twenty-five members who are all prominent leaders in their respective fields. The current Vice Chancellor of Presidency University is Professor M. Harunur Rashid, Former Chairman, Department of Accounting and Information Systems, University of Dhaka. Under his guidance, all faculty members and administrative officers and staff believe in the philosophy that there can be no compromise with quality. Our Vice Chancellor repeatedly emphasizes, We focus on quality and not on quantity. The university has gained name for its excellence in its undergraduate and graduate programmes in its three schools. Apart from departmental and programme heads, the schools also have advisors - senior academicians who contribute their knowledge and expertise in developing and implementing the programmes. Professor Dr. Mahfuzul Hoque heads the Moazzam Hossain School of Business.

It offers three programmes. The Bachelor of Business Administration degree is offered with majors in varying fields. The programme provides students a solid knowledge base and understanding of the functioning of the business world in general and also provides them with sufficient knowledge and skills in a field of specialization to prepare them for positions in business. The Master of Business Administration is designed to train skilled managers for business corporations, and government, and there is also a Professional MBA degree for those professionals who have neither undergraduate business degree nor any formal business degree, but want to improve their managerial skills. Faculty members include academic scholars and former corporate managers whose vast experience and knowledge enrich the classroom lectures. The school maintains a democratic learning environment where students can develop an approach to have their own insights into the problems with independent thinking. The Azimur Rahman School of Engineering has programmes, which are designed to provide students with a foundation in science, engineering, humanities, and management. The Department of Civil Engineering and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) offer three fully accredited undergraduate programmes Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering. The objectives of the programmes are to prepare the graduates for success in their immediate, as well as long-term professional careers as practitioners, and for pursuing advanced studies and life-long learning. Reputed core and visiting faculty members, state-of-the-art computing and lab facilities, and industry linkage through internship support this and field visits. The ECE Department is headed by Professor Dr. Tapan Kumar Chakraborty, Former Head, Dept. of EEE, DUET, and its advisor is Professor Dr. M. Shahidul Hassan, Former Dean, Faculty of EEE, BUET, and the Civil Engineering Department is headed by Dr. Md. Nazmul Islam. Shamsul Alamin School of Liberal Arts consists of the Department of English, which is headed by Mr. Shibli Ahmed Khan. The department's advisor is Dr. Rubina Khan, President of BELTA (Bangladesh English Language Teachers' Association). The programs in the fields of English and Teaching have gained considerable reputation. These include Bachelor of Arts in English, and Master of Arts in English Language Teaching (ELT). The ELT program is without doubt one of the best in the country. The department is closely tied with professional organisations like BELTA for teaching related activities and issues. Besides the degree programmes and supporting tutorials, the department regularly conducts workshops, seminars, and short courses, among which the Faculty Development Programme is the most significant. One advantage Presidency University has over many other institutions is the fact that it has its own independent campus building in Gulshan, which houses the Business School, the English Department and the Civil Engineering Department. Recently another campus

was set up in Banani for the Electrical and Computer Engineering department. Both campuses have state-of-the-art laboratories, rich libraries, canteens, common rooms, and other facilities for both teachers and students. (The writer is the Assistant Professor, MH School of Business, Presidency University)