Jahangirnagar University

Jahangirnagar University
Logo of Jahangirnagar University
Latin: Jahangirnagar University
Former name
Jahangirnagar Muslim University (1970-1971)
TypePublic
EstablishedAugust 20, 1970; 53 years ago (1970-08-20) (formally launched in January 12, 1971; 53 years ago (1971-01-12))
AffiliationUniversity Grants Commission (UGC)
BudgetUS$31.88 million
279.13 Crore BDT(৳) (2022)
ChancellorPresident Mohammed Shahabuddin
Vice-ChancellorMd. Nurul Alam[1]
Pro Vice-ChancellorMonzurul Huq
Academic staff
836 (2019) professorial faculty
Administrative staff
2,018 (2018)[2]
Students17,212 (2019)[3]
Undergraduates10,788 (2018)[2]
Postgraduates2,235 (2018)[2]
1,962 (2018)[2]
Location
Savar, Dhaka
,
Bangladesh

23°52′57″N 90°14′54″E / 23.8825°N 90.2482°E / 23.8825; 90.2482
CampusRural, 697.56 acres (2.8 km²)
Websitewww.juniv.edu

Jahangirnagar University (abbreviated as JU) is a public research university located in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.[4] It was established in 1970 by the Jahangirnagar Muslim University Ordinance of the Pakistani Government,[5] which was amended after the independence of Bangladesh to form Jahangirnagar University. It is one of the four autonomous universities by the act of universities in Bangladesh.

Jahangirnagar University offers undergraduate and graduate programs in various disciplines, including Arts, humanities, social science, natural science, biological science, business studies, and engineering.[6] The university has produced many alumni over the years contributing notably to research, literature, education, culture and sports.[7]

The university has 36 different departments under five faculties including the faculty of mathematical and physical sciences, faculty of social sciences, faculty of arts and humanities, faculty of biological sciences, and faculty of business administration. It has several academic and research institutes including institute of Information technology, institute of Remote sensing and GIS, institute of Business administration, Bangabandhu institute of Comparative literature and culture, Wazed Miah science research center, Wildlife conservation and research center, and Butterfly park and research center. [8][9][10] It is the fourth oldest generalized public university in Bangladesh. Also, it has fourth-largest university campus in Bangladesh.[11]

History

Jahangirnagar was the former name of Dhaka. The Mughal city of Dhaka was named Jahangirnagar (City of Jahangir) in honour of the erstwhile ruling Mughal Emperor Jahangir by Islam Khan in 1610.

Jahangirnagar University was established on 20 August 1970, but formally launched on 12 January 1971[12] under the Jahangirnagar Muslim University Ordinance, 1970[4] and this day is observed as University Day. Initially, it was named Jahangirnagar Muslim University, and the plan was to operate the university like Aligarh Muslim University. But after the independence of Bangladesh, its name changed to Jahangirnagar University under the Jahangirnagar University Act' 1973.[12]

Its first vice-chancellor, Mafizuddin Ahmed (PhD in chemistry, Penn State) took up office on 24 September 1970. The first group of students, a total of 150, were enrolled in four departments: Economics, Geography, Mathematics, and Statistics. Its formal inauguration was delayed until 12 January 1971, when the university was launched by Rear Admiral S. M. Ahsan, the chancellor.[4]

Jahangirnagar University Act of 1973

ACT NO. XXXIV OF 1973, an act to repeal the Jahangirnagar Muslim University Ordinance, 1970 and to provide for reconstitution and reorganisation of the Jahangirnagar Muslim University.

Location and campus

The university stands on the west side of the Asian Highway, popularly known as the Dhaka-Aricha Road, and is 32 kilometres away from the capital. Spread over an area of 697.56 acres (2.8 km2), the campus is surrounded by the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC) on the south, and the Savar Cantonment on the northeast, on the north of which is the National Monument (Jatiyo Smriti Soudho) and a large dairy farm on the east. JU is considered as the most beautiful university in Bangladesh. The topography of the land with its gentle rise and plains is pleasing to the eyes. The water features sprawled around the campus make an excellent habitat for the winter birds that flock in every year in the thousands and consequently, it is a site frequented by many bird watchers.[4] On 19 January 2017, the university arranged a bird fair in its Zahir Rayhan auditorium.[13] The Shahid Minar (martyrs' monument) of JU is the tallest in Bangladesh, 71 feet high and made of ceramic bricks on a base 52 feet in circumference. The height signifies the war of independence fought in 1971 and the circumference refers to the language movement of 1952. It is designed by architect Robiul Hossain.[14]

The university is an autonomous body managed by an executive council known as 'The Syndicate'. Its statutes need ratification by the university senate, which meets at least once a year to do the same. The Senate passes the university's annual budget, reviews its academic matters, and elects a panel of three nominees for the position of its vice-chancellor once every four years. the selection and appointment are made by the president of Bangladesh, who is the chancellor of the university. The chancellor also appoints the pro-vice-chancellor and the treasurer of the university.[4]

List of vice-chancellors

The first vice chancellor, Mafizuddin Ahmed, was appointed in 1970.

Name Duration
Mafizuddin Ahmed (1970–1972)
Syed Ali Ahsan (1972–1975)
Muhammad Enamul Haq (1975–1976)
Zillur Rahman Siddiqui (1976–1984)
Mohammad Noman (1988)
Kazi Saleh Ahmed (1988–1993)
Amirul Islam Chowdhury (1993–1994)
Alauddin Ahammad (1998–1999)
Abdul Bayes [15] (1999–2001)
Jasim Uddin[16] (2001–2004)
Khondokar Mustahidur Rahman (d. 2021)[17][18][19] (2004–2007)
Muhammad Muniruzzaman [20] (2009)
Shariff Enamul Kabir (2010–2012)
M. Anwar Hossain (2012–2014)
M A Matin[21] (23 January 2014 – 2 March 2014)
Farzana Islam (2014–2022)
Md Nurul Alam (2022–present)

Academics

Jahangirnagar University is the only university in Bangladesh which preserves about 50% of the total seats for female students.

Administrative Building

Faculties

There are 36 departments under six faculties.[22]

Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences[23]

Department of Physics

Dean: Farid Ahmed[24]

Faculty of Social Sciences[25]

Dean: Bashir Ahmed[26][27]

Faculty of Arts and Humanities[28]

Dean: Md. Mozammel Hoque[29]

Department of Drama and Dramatics

Faculty of Biological Sciences[30]

Dean: Md. Nuhu Alam[31]

Faculty of Business Studies[32]

Faculty of Business Studies

Dean: Nilanjan Kumar Saha[33]

Faculty of Law[34]

Dean: Tapos Kumar Das[35]

Institutes

There are four institutes for specialised research and training:[36]

  • Institute of Business Administration [37](E Unit) Jahangirnagar University (IBA-JU) started as the university's Department of Business Administration (DBA) in 1991. This institute is the first in Bangladesh to offer an undergraduate degree in business. It offers a four-year course of study leading to a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree, and an eighteen-month post-graduate Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.[38] Since May 2012, there is a Weekend MBA programme for working professionals.[39] As of October 2015, the institute admits 50 students every year to its undergraduate programme.[40] IBA-JU offers finance, marketing, and human resource management as majors.[41] IBA-JU has seven student organisations such as Infusion-The Cultural Club of IBA-JU, Communic, IBA-JU Business Club, IBA-JU Social Welfare Club, Envision:IBA-JU Photography Club, IBA-JU Sports Club and IBA-JU Debating Club.[42]
  • Institute of Information Technology[43](A Unit) was established in 2009.
  • Bangabandhu Institute of Comparative Literature and Culture[44][45][46](C Unit)
  • Institute of Remote Sensing and GIS [47][48] provides postgraduate degrees.
Wazed Miah Science Research Centre
Fish Hatchery and Research Center

Student life

With 22 residential halls, Jahangirnagar University is mandated to provide residential accommodation to every student with separate halls for female students. Each hall has its own administration system headed by a provost and is equipped with facilities such as playgrounds, rooms for indoor games, dining halls etc.[49]

Halls/dorms

Halls for male students

  • Mir Mosharrof Hossain Hall: named after Mir Mosharraf Hossain, noted for its beautiful butterfly-shaped architecture.
  • A. F. M. Kamaluddin Hall: named after one of the ex-vice-chancellors of Jahangirnagar University A.F.M. Kamaluddin, a geographer, who died prematurely.
  • Shaheed Salam Barkat Hall: named after two language martyrs of the Bengali Language Movement.

Halls for female students

Zahanara Imam Hall
  • Begum Khaleda Zia Hall: named after Khaleda Zia, former prime minister of Bangladesh
  • Sheikh Hasina Hall: named after Sheikh Hasina, prime minister of Bangladesh[49]
  • Sufia Kamal Hall: named after kobi Sufia Kamal, a famous poet and a political activist.
  • Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall: named after Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib, first lady to the first President of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Central Library Gate

Central Library

Established in 1985, the JU library is equipped with a huge collection of books. Located behind a monument of "Sangshaptak", the library is conveniently placed between the main academic buildings and the dormitories. The entire area has Wi-Fi coverage. There are more than 110,000 books, 14,000 hardbound journals, and 22,000 online journals in the library. The library can accommodate over 500 students at a time. There is a cyber centre on the premises. Airy with ample glass openings, the library is an elegant piece of architecture.[50]

TSC

The teachers-student centre has a prime role in improving the relationship between the teachers and the students of the campus. It is a cultural hub for the university. The offices of several cultural organizations are located here where they practice for the cultural programs and do rehearsal. Indoor games like carrom, table tennis, and chess are available. Moreover, the language learning center is also located here where short courses are offered for university students to learn several foreign languages. Different cultural groups usually perform drama and cultural programs at Muktomacha. Shaptam Chayamancha is a great attraction for students at leisure period.[51]

Zahir Raihan Auditorium

The "Zahir Raihan Auditorium", located in the TSC complex, is named after Zahir Raihan, a famous Bangladeshi novelist, writer and filmmaker. There is also a seminar hall for seminars, meetings and cultural programmers. The auditorium has 1500 seats, while the seminar hall can accommodate 250 persons. It is an auditorium fully equipped for drama, cultural activities, international conferences, and other similar events.[52]

Sculptures and Architecture

The highest Monument commemorating the language movement is situated in Jahangirnagar University. This sculpture named Amor Ekushey. Muktomoncho, a platform which established and named after the great artist Selim Al Deen, the inaugurator of the department of drama and dramatics at JU. The sequential red-brick built stairs in front of the stage provides a captivating sight where audiences sit and enjoy the programs. Different cultural groups, artists usually perform here frequently.[53] The Sangsaptak is the sculpture which holds the untold stories of the Liberation War. The 15-feet high bronze sculpture was installed in 1990 in front of the university’s central library. It was built by the eminent sculptor Hamiduzzaman Khan, whose intention was to uphold the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War.[54] A Shaheed Minar designed by architect Robiul Hossain was erected in front of the Arts Building in 2008 to commemorate the deaths that took place during the Bengali language movement. It is the talles Shaheed Minar in the country.[55]

Other Spots

The cafeteria offers the students and teachers a healthy and fresh meal in morning and lunch time in an affordable cost, located behind the Amar Ekushey monument.[56] The whole campus is encircled by various types of trees and 12-13 lakes.The water features sprawled around the campus make an excellent habitat for the winter birds that flock in every year in thousands, waterlily and lotus bloom in large numbers in some of the lakes. Moreover, there has a big play ground named central field and a beautiful central Mosque located near the main entrance. Bot Tola, Tarzan Point are also noted by the students and mass people as an ideal place to try traditional foods, evening snacks, breakfast, tea, coffee, shakes and drinks at a cheap price.[57] There is also a large swimming pool, but has been remaining abandoned for 20 years.[58] There are several locations renowned for their unique natural landscapes and beauty. One such spot, akin to Monpura, named after an island in Bangladesh, is situated behind the botanical garden. This place offers a tranquil setting with elevated terrain alongside a picturesque lake, offering a serene ambience. Another intriguingly named spot, London Bridge, lies at the juncture of two expansive lakes. It stands as one of the beloved destinations for watching migratory birds within the campus, situated along the pathway leading to the registrar building.[59] There are several entrance points to the campus, among them the main and the most popular entrance is dairy gate, the other ones are Joy Bangla gate (also known as Prantik gate), and Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall gate.

Notable people

Alumni

Faculty

Awards

Jasim Uddin Ahmad FRSC (London) was awarded Ekushey Padak for his significant contribution in education in 2006.[61]

Research

Jahangirnagar University is illustrating a notable growth in scientific progression over the years. In 2022, 722 Scopus-indexed publications were recorded by the JU teachers and students which is almost 3.6 folds compared to what it was in 2017.[62] According to SCOPUS database, almost 5.5 thousand articles are recorded from this institution (till 2024), where the most contributing fields of research were Physics, Computer science, Medicine, Engineering, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Material Science, Biochemistry, Genetics, and Molecular Biology consists of almost 65% of the total research took place in JU till 2024. [63] Academically, JU also provides graduate degrees like Mphil and PhD in most of the departments. The Wazed Miah Science Research center consists of numerous modern equipments for scientific research including spectroscopes, microscopes, HPLC, water sample analyzer and so on. [64] The butterfly park is the home of almost 110 species of butterflies which is established with a vision to research on biodiversity, breeding, and role of butterflies on environment. The university also arranges butterfly fair to spread awareness among children and mass people, and also showcases the diverse species present in JU. [65] The Wari-Bateshwar historical archaeological site was one of the most notable findings from the archaeology department of Jahangirnagar University. The traces of human presence and man-made materials dating back some 1,000-1,200 years have been found in the world’s largest coastal mangrove forest Sundarbans is also one of the prominent hypothesis made by the archeological research group led by Dr. Sufi Mostafizur Rahman. [66] [67]

Rankings

In 2024, in Times Higher Education World University Rankings, JU was placed between 801-1000th among the best global universities. The research quality score of JU was 71.9 during the same year, which is the 2nd highest among Bangladeshi universities, and the highest among ranked public universities. In terms of teaching, it also stood 2nd with a score of 24.9 in Bangladesh. In QS rankings, JU was placed between 1201-1400th among the top global universities and 351-400th among best Asian universities, 90th among the best Southern Asia universities. [68][69]

Jahangirnagar University Rankings
Ranking Organization Rank
QS World 1201-1400th
QS Southern Asia 90th
THE World 801-1000th
THE Asia 351-400th

Convocation

The first convocation of JU was held in 1997. Then the second, third, fourth and fifth convocation took place during 2001, 2006, 2010 and 2015, respectively. The 6th convocation took place almost after 8 years, in 25 February, 2023, where more than 15 thousand students participated. The acting vice-chancellor during 6th convocation was Dr. Nurul Alam, and the chief guest was the chancellor and former president of Bangladesh Mohammad Abdul Hamid.[70]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Prof Nurul Alam new vice chancellor of Jahangirnagar University". The Business Standard. 17 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "45th Annual Report 2018" (PDF). December 2019.
  3. ^ "46th Annual Report 2019" (PDF). December 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e Mesbah-us-Saleheen (2012). "Jahangirnagar University". In Islam, Sirajul; Jamal, Ahmed A. (eds.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
  5. ^ "The Jahangirnagar University Act, 1973". bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Jahangirnagar University". juniv.edu. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  7. ^ "13 Notable Alumni of Jahangirnagar University [Sorted List]". EduRank.org - Discover university rankings by location. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  8. ^ "List of Researches Areas, Department of Environmental Sciences". juniv.edu. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
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  10. ^ "Resesrch Projects, Department of Chemistry". www.juniv.edu. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
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  12. ^ a b "History of JU". Jahangirnagar University. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  13. ^ "JU birds fair kicks off 19 Jan". Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on 16 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
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  16. ^ Roy, Pinaki (11 February 2009). "2 former VCs in plagiarism debate". The Daily Star. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
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  59. ^ https://www.protidinersangbad.com/i-am-mine/135175/protidinersangbad.com/justice/239567 Protidiner Sangbad. Retrieved 10 April 2024
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  63. ^ https://www.scopus.com/pages/organization/60029276 JU Scopus Profile, retrieved April, 2024.
  64. ^ https://juniv.edu/center/wmsrc Wazed Miah Science Research Center, JU.
  65. ^ https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/education/butterfly-fair-at-jahangirnagar-university-on-friday-1669813586 Butterfly fair at Jahangirnagar University
  66. ^ https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2018/3/12/new-findings-could-rewrite-bangladeshs-history
  67. ^ https://www.daily-sun.com/magazine/details/332579
  68. ^ "World University Rankings". Times Higher Education (THE). 19 September 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  69. ^ "QS Universities Rankings - Top Global Universities & Colleges". Top Universities. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  70. ^ Sixth convocation of JU Held-The Daily Star https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/sixth-ju-convocation-held-3257416

External links

Media related to Jahangirnagar University at Wikimedia Commons

  • Official website
  • Old photographs of the campus
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