Monday | 7 October 2024 | Reg No- 06
বাংলা
   
Monday | 7 October 2024 | Epaper
BREAKING: ● Four die, 1225 patients hospitalised with dengue      ● 105 children killed in mass uprising      ● Saber Hossain Chowdhury arrested      ● 50,000 people marooned as over 100 villages flooded in Netrokona      ● Preliminary list of 735 martyrs killed in July-Aug mass uprising published      ● Mahmudur Rahman demands banning Chhatra League in a week      ● Israeli strike on mosque in Gaza kills 26      

Importance of research in our undergraduate education

Published : Tuesday, 13 February, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 388
Pranto Chatterjee
Research is the backbone of any nations development and progress. Without research, no country can achieve innovation, creativity, and excellence in any field of knowledge. Research also fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills among students and scholars, which are essential for the 21st century. Therefore, it is imperative that research is given due importance and priority in the education system of Bangladesh, especially at the undergraduate level.

Unfortunately, the current scenario of research in Bangladesh is not very encouraging. According to the Scimago Journal and Country Rank, Bangladesh ranked 109th out of 239 countries in terms of research output in 2020. The number of research publications per capita was only 0.02, which is far below the global average of 0.28.

Moreover, the quality and impact of the research papers were also low, as indicated by the low citation index and h-index.

One of the major reasons for this poor performance is the lack of research culture and environment in the public universities of Bangladesh, especially at the undergraduate level. In most of the public universities, there is almost no research going on in the undergraduate level, especially in engineering. Although there is a provision of a final year project that should be done by all students, either individually or in a group, the outcome is hardly visible or beneficial for the nation. Most of the projects are either theoretical, repetitive, or irrelevant to the current needs and challenges of the society. There is also a lack of proper guidance, supervision, and evaluation of the projects by the faculty members. Furthermore, there is a scarcity of research facilities, equipment, and funding in the public universities, which hampers the quality and scope of the research projects.


If we compare our situation with our neighboring country India, we can see a stark difference in the research output and quality. India ranked 3rd in the world in terms of research output in 2020, with more than 170,000 publications. India also spends more on education, with 4.6% of its GDP allocated to education in 2018, compared to 2.1% in Bangladesh. As a result, India has better research facilities and infrastructure in its universities and institutes, which enable the students and scholars to conduct cutting-edge research in various fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Moreover, India has a specific research topic given to all the students in the final year of engineering, which is aligned with the national and global priorities and challenges. The students are also supervised and evaluated by qualified and experienced professors, who are honest and strict about the academic standards and ethics. As a result, nearly 800 research projects are submitted every year from one engineering institute in India, out of which one best research project is selected from each department. Then, from all the best projects from all departments, the best research project is selected and sent to compete for the presidential award. This shows the level of excellence and innovation that India has achieved in research, which is also reflected in its dominance in the IT sector in the world.

Therefore, we do not need to adopt the education system of Finland or Japan, which are often considered as the best in the world. We just need to make sure that our students are doing proper research at the undergraduate level, which will take our country far ahead in the path of development and prosperity. We can learn from the best practices of India and other countries, and adapt them to our own context and needs.

For this to happen, the government and the society have to play a vital role in promoting and supporting research in the undergraduate education in Bangladesh. The government should establish more labs and increase research facilities and funding in the public universities, which will enable the students and faculty members to conduct quality and relevant research. The government and university should also introduce an award for the best research project at the undergraduate level, which will motivate and inspire the students to excel in research. The government should also monitor and evaluate the research activities and outcomes in the public universities, and ensure that they are up to the mark and meet the national and international standards.

The society, especially the parents, teachers, and media, should also encourage and appreciate the students who are interested and engaged in research. They should also create awareness and demand for research among the students and the public, and highlight the benefits and importance of research for the nation and the world. They should also discourage and condemn any form of plagiarism, dishonesty, or corruption in the academic world, which are a menace for the research culture and environment. They should also celebrate and acknowledge the achievements and contributions of the researchers and innovators, who are the pride and asset of the nation.

Research is the key to unlock the potential and possibilities of the future. It is also the way to solve the problems and challenges of the present. Therefore, research should be given the utmost importance and priority in the undergraduate education in Bangladesh, especially in engineering. This will not only enhance the knowledge and skills of the students, but also create a pool of talented and creative researchers and innovators, who can lead the nation towards development and prosperity. We have seen the positive impact of research in the education sector in India, which is our close neighbor and friend. We can also achieve the same, if not more, if we focus on research and innovation in our education system.

We have faith in the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has shown her commitment and vision for the education sector in Bangladesh. We have also seen the increase in the education budget by the government in this fiscal year, which is a welcome and commendable step. We hope that the government will continue to support and invest in the research and innovation in the undergraduate education in Bangladesh, which will bring remarkable changes and benefits for the nation and the world. We also hope that the society will also play its role in creating and nurturing a research culture and environment in the country, which will inspire and empower the students and the scholars to pursue and excel in research. Together, we can make Bangladesh a hub of research and innovation, and a leader in the global arena.

The writer is a former ICCR scholar, columnist, researcher, and holds a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from NIT Durgapur, India


LATEST NEWS
MOST READ
Also read
Dengue scourge taking a turn for worse
Our art market should expand 
Response to flood-hit areas must be well organised
Reintegration of our returnee migrants crucial  
Rising drug addiction throws our youths into jeopardy 
Repatriation of Rohingyas still not in sight 
Banking sector reforms and some proposals
Class struggles continue to widen
Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Online: 41053014; Advertisement: 41053012.
E-mail: info©dailyobserverbd.com, news©dailyobserverbd.com, advertisement©dailyobserverbd.com, For Online Edition: mailobserverbd©gmail.com
🔝