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Seven KU students receive research grants on climate and children's rights

Published : Thursday, 8 October, 2026 at 5:36 PM

Observer Online Report

The ‘Student Research Grant Program 2026’ has been launched for the first time through a joint initiative between Khulna University and Switzerland-based international child rights organization Terre des Hommes (TdH) Bangladesh. Under the program, seven students were selected for research grants from a total of 31 submitted research proposals.

The award-winning students are Nabil Ahmed Chowdhury of the Economics Discipline; Md Helaluzzaman and Drishti Majumdar of the Sociology Discipline; Albright Baroi of the Development Studies Discipline; Khalid Ahmed of the Mass Communication and Journalism Discipline; Md Hasibul Alam Sampad of the Architecture Discipline; and Md Limon Sheikh of the Education Discipline.

The selected students will conduct research on topics including climate change and child nutrition; cyclone preparedness among adolescents; child-centric early disaster warnings; salinity and health risks for women and adolescent girls; the role of youth volunteers in disaster response; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for children and youth in climate-vulnerable areas; and the development of leadership and resilience among adolescents through sports.

An award ceremony for the selected students was held on Thursday at 12PM in the conference room of the university's administrative building. The university's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dr Md Rezaul Karim, attended the event as the chief guest.

Speaking as the chief guest, the Vice-Chancellor said Khulna University continues to make significant contributions to research and innovation. He noted that the joint initiative with TdH would encourage young researchers and facilitate impactful research relevant to local realities. He expressed optimism that the findings of these studies would play a vital role in policymaking and development planning, while also contributing to human welfare.

The university's Treasurer, Professor Dr Md Nurunnabi, emphasized the importance of ensuring that research findings related to climate change are sustainable and applicable. Zinia Afroze, Country Director of Terre des Hommes (TdH) Bangladesh, expressed her pleasure at the opportunity to implement the initiative jointly with Khulna University. She said the program would enhance the skills of young researchers and facilitate the generation of essential, evidence-based findings regarding children and youth at the local level.

In his welcome address, Professor Dr Md Ashik-Ur-Rahman, Director of the Office of International Affairs, said this marks the first time Khulna University has entered into such a collaborative partnership with an international non-governmental organization to support student-led research activities. The findings from these studies will be presented at a national conference jointly organized by Khulna University and TdH Bangladesh in December.

He further said the selected researchers would conduct their studies under the guidance of their respective supervisors, adhering to principles of child protection, informed consent, data confidentiality and the "do no harm" policy.

Other speakers at the event included Dr Md Nasif Ahsan, Professor of the Economics Discipline and a member of the program's steering committee, as well as TdH Bangladesh officials Mohammad Ehsan Ul Islam Chowdhury and Surajit Kundu. During the session, the grant-recipient students outlined their research topics and anticipated outcomes.

The event was attended by the university's Registrar (Acting), Professor Dr SM Mahbubur Rahman; Head of the Urban and Rural Planning Discipline Professor Dr Md Zakir Hossain; Director of Student Affairs Professor Dr Md Salauddin; and relevant officials from both Khulna University and TdH Bangladesh.

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