Archaeological Discovery
Under the supervision of ULAB Associate Professor and Archaeologist Dr. Shahnaj Husne Jahan, the excavation team has discovered foundations of a Buddhist stupa and a temple roughly dated to the 6th or 7th century C.E. at Bhitargarh, Panchagarh. It is the most important archeological discovery in the region, which is expected to shed significant light on the past cultural landscape of Panchagarh district in particular, and Bangladesh in general.
Dr. Jahan has obtained permission from the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to conduct a systematic archaeological exploration and excavation at Bhitargarh in Panchagarh district for five years.
More Achievements
ULAB signs MoU with Assumption University of Thailand
ULAB signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Assumption University of Thailand on Sunday, 25 August 2013. ULAB Vice Chancellor Prof. Imran Rahman and Assumption University Registrar Dr. Kamol Kitsawad signed the MoU on behalf of their respective universities.
The MoU mainly focuses on academic collaboration, knowledge and research sharing. ULAB is only one of three Bangladeshi universities with which Assumption is signing MOUs, the other two being Dhaka University and North South University. Assumption is a Catholic University with a good reputation. It was established in the early 70s as a business school and later, converted into a full-blown private university. It is Thailand’s first international university.
University awards first research grants of any private university
University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) awarded research grants to its faculty members at an award ceremony on November 7, 2013. Each year, the ULAB Academic Research Committee awards grants to emphasize and encourage university-level research. Professor M. Omar Rahman, Vice Chancellor of Independent University Bangladesh (IUB) was the Chief Guest of the ceremony. After a rigorous application process, ULAB chose eight deserving projects to fund:
ULAB wins documentary contest
September 2013 – University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) has secured the first place at “Star-UIU Documentary Festival-13” jointly organised by Star Cineplex and United International University (UIU). The final round of the contest was held on September 19, 2013 at Star Cineplex Hall. A documentary titled, “18 Hours in 180 seconds”, by Zahid Hasan Gogon — a 5th term student of ULAB — came out on the top, defeating 17 other documentaries submitted by students of different private universities.
MSJ Student‘s Outstanding Performance at American Center training program
Fall 2013 – A promising student of MSJ, Zulker Naeen, performed outstandingly at the “Generation Change Social Media Training and campaign Program 2013.” He was one of 40 participants, selected through a rigorous recruitment process. This program was funded by the American Center and organized by International Education and Resource Network-Bangladesh (iEARN-BD).
English & Humanities lecturer wins international scholarship
Fall 2013 – Nasreen Sultana (Lecturer, DEH) has won the international house global reach scholarship to attend the IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) 2014 conference to be held in England. She has also become a certified teacher trainer by British Council. This is the first time that British Council has certified trainers from Bangladesh.
ETE Students Come 1st in inter-university networking competition at East West University
September 2013 – Students Md. Mahboob Alam and Md. Reefaz Rahman of ULAB’s ETE Department won the first prize in the inter-university networking competition, “Telco Warfare 2013,” organized by East West University on 25 September, 2013.
Professor Rafiqul Islam awarded
July 2013 – The American Alumni Association (AAA) awarded ULAB former Vice Chancellor and Emeritus Professor Rafiqul Islam for his momentous role in the education sector of Bangladesh on July 7, 2013. AAA recognizes professionals who have been educated in the USA and who make significant contributions to the development of Bangladesh.
ULAB launches First-Ever Campus TV
June 2013 – University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) launched the first Campus TV in Bangladesh named “ULAB TV” on 27 June, 2013 at its own campus at Dhanmondi. The Department of Media Studies and Journalism (MSJ) organized a festive Launching Ceremony for the occasion. Mr. Tunku Varadarajan, Former Editor, Newsweek International inaugurated the ULAB TV as the Chief Guest in the ceremony. Campus TV is a new endeavor in Bangladesh. ULAB’s programs incorporate active and hands-on learning in order to provide real-world skills alongside traditional learning. Through Campus TV, ULAB’s Media Studies and Journalism Department will help students to become skilled at television production and journalism.
ULAB joins Communication Initiative Network
June 2013 – The Media Studies and Journalism (MSJ) Department has become an associate of the Canada-based Communication Initiative Network. The Network is a platform where members create and support a shared knowledge base on communication for social change; thus improving strategic thinking and facilitating research in development work. Other associates include Ohio University, University of Victoria and the International Development Research Center (IDRC).
MSJ Student chosen for USA student exchange program
May 2013 – MSJ Student Shahla Islam (Rodoshee) is one of five recipients of the student exchange program sponsored by the US Department of State. She will spend five weeks in May and June at the Study of United States Institute (SUSI) University of Oklahoma where she will learn about New Media in Journalism.
English & Humanities student receives graduate scholarship to York University
April 2013 – ULAB’s 2012 Valedictorian Rebeka Badiozzaman has received a full scholarship to do graduate study at York University, in Toronto, Canada. She was a graduate in the Department of English and Humanities (DEH) where she majored in English Language. The program is a Master in Education in Language, Culture and Teaching.
Khaled Khan receives IT Theatre Award 2013
February 2013 – The Bangladesh chapter of International Theatre Institute (ITI), along with Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation and Bangladesh Pathnatok Parishad celebrated World Theatre Day on March 27, 2013, and conferred the IT Theatre Award on actor-director Khaled Khan (ULAB Director, Finance). World Theatre Day has been observed worldwide since 1962, and has become one of the major celebrations for theatre activists.
ULAB Becomes Member of the United Nations Academic Impact Team
January 2013 – The University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) has become a member of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI). UNAI is a global initiative that aligns institutions of higher education with the United Nations in furthering the realization of intellectual social responsibility and promoting the Millennium Development Goals. Members are expected to further policies and programmes that reflect the principles governing the United Nations Academic Impact, including undertaking one new activity each year. Examples include research projects and papers, the hosting of a conference, the financing of participation of students in a specific United Nations activity in the field, or a specific action or activity on campus. ULAB is the only university in Bangladesh with a core value of Sustainable Development. Through its Center for Sustainable Development (CSD), ULAB conducts research and collaborates on multiple initiatives which include the Millennium Development Goals.
MSJ student publishes book
Fall 2012 – ULAB MSJ student and young feature writer Al Nahian published his debut book, Silent Call. The book was available at Ekushey Boi Mela, Shahosh Publications, Stall no.103. Readers can also collect the book after the Book Fair through www.rokomari.com This talented young man is connected with various relevant fields. He is a photographer and film director. His docu-drama “Kolaholer Baire” was telecast on a private TV channel.
MSJ Students Selected for Independent TV Training
Fall 2012 – Seven ULAB MSJ students/fresh graduates have been selected for an intensive 10-day training at Independent TV Limited. The selection process was highly competitive with students and graduates of other media studies and journalism schools in the running. In the end, only 18 applicants were successful – 7 from ULAB, 7 from AIUB, and 4 from Stamford University. They will have first-hand experience in state-of-the-art broadcast technology and attain refined knowledge of aesthetics, stylistics and other features of television production.
ULAB’s 2nd Convocation
November 2012 – The second convocation of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh was held on November 18, 2012 at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC). His Excellency José Ramos-Horta, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1996), President (2007-2012), Prime Minister (2006-2007), Senior Minister, and Minister for Foreign Affairs (2001-2006) of the Republic of Timor-Leste, graced the second convocation as the convocation speaker. A day before the convocation, ULAB students had the opportunity to interact with this modern-day icon to know his views on issues such as democracy, politics, international affairs, and his experience of running one of the youngest independent nations in Asia. Professor Dr. Alauddin Ahmed, Education Advisor to the Prime Minister, attended the programme as the Chief Guest while Professor Dr. Atful Hye Shibly, Member of University Grants Commission, and Dr. Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, were the Special Guests. A total of 704 students were conferred degrees in the convocation ceremony. Among the students, 517 were from undergraduate programs including BBA, Computer Science and Engineering, Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering, English and Humanities and Media studies and Journalism. The rest 187 students were from graduate programs including MBA and EMBA.
ULAB wins Fair Play Cup Tournament 2012
February 2012 – ULAB hosted the 5th ULAB Fair Play Cup, February 4 – 14 at their playground Ramchandrapur. ULAB hosts this tournament every year in the spirit of fair play and friendly competition between private universities. This year, the eight participating universities were: BRAC University, East West University, Manarat International University, North South University, Stamford University, State University of Bangladesh, United International University, and ULAB. ULAB Cricket Team Won the Fair Play Cup 2012 by beating the Stamford team by 6 wickets in their own field.
ULAB Alum awarded Best Organizer Medal in National Debate Festival of NDFBD
March 2012 – Abdullah Al Tarif one of our ULAB Alumni got Best Organizer Medal from Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid in 6th National Debate Festival of NDFBD. The festival held at the auditorium of Residential Model School & College on 24th and 25th March, 2012. ULAB is proud for his achievement.
Professor Rafiqul Islam receives Independence Award 2012
2012 – Professor Rafiqul Islam has been awarded the Independence Award (Swadhinata Padak) 2012 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Independence Award is the highest state award given by the Bangladesh Government. Professor Rafiqul Islam is the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh and its first-ever Professor Emeritus.
Champions of East West University IT FEST 2011
February 2011 – Champion and 2nd runners-up respectively in the East West University IT FEST 2011 on February 8, 2011.
UNYSAB Model Youth Parliament 2011
March 5, 2011 – ULAB English and Humanities students won several awards in the UNYSAB Model Youth Parliament 2011. ULAB won the highest number of awards out of 22 universities, both public and private, including: Best Delegate (2 awards), Best Position Paper, and Best Delegation Team. The Model Youth Parliament was organized by the United Nations Youth and Students Association of Bangladesh (UNYSAB) and Actionaid. The Model Youth Parliament was based on the format of United Nations General Assembly, but specially modified to suit the needs of a more localized format of the national parliament.
Delhi Sustainable Development Summit
February 3-5, 2011 – ULAB’s Institute for Sustainable Development represented ULAB and Bangladesh in the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, held. Dr. Rathana peou van den Heuvel, Associate Professor, was a member of the Climate Change Panel on Vulnerability and Resilience.
Hero Honda “Battle of Hunks” private university cricket tournament
February 2011 – ULAB cricket team is Champion of Hero Honda’s “Battle of Hunks” private university cricket tournament. As the winner, the ULAB cricket team took a victory lap during the Inaugural Match of the ICC World Cup 2011. The team bested 11 other universities, including AIUB against whom they played in the final.
Citi Financial IT Case Competition 2010 1st Runner Up
2010 – ULAB’s programming team, ULAB-Stride, won 1st Runner Up of the Citi Financial IT Case Competition (CFICC) in 2010, with a new mobile banking solution. The competition saw 53 teams from 20 universities, both public and private.
Socio-Environment Fair 2010
December 2010 – Sustainable Development (SD) Club 1st Runners Up in Socio-Environment Fair 2010 in East-West University on December 7, 2010.
NORAD Regional Masters in Journalism, Media and Communication
Fall 2010 – Four ULAB MSJ students were accepted into the prestigious Regional Masters in Journalism, Media and Communication with full scholarship from NORAD.
ULAB’s 1st Convocation
July 2010 – ULAB held its first-ever convocation in the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre on July 20, 2010. His Excellency Md. Zillur Rahman, the Hon’able President of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, and Chancellor of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, kindly consented to preside over the Convocation Ceremony and confer the degrees. The Special Guest of the Convocation was Professor Nazrul Islam, Chairman of the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh. Professor Islam spoke highly of ULAB and its unique contribution to education in Bangladesh. The Convocation Speaker was Ms. Ameerah Haq, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste and Head of UNMIT. Ms. Haq is the highest-ranking Bangladeshi in the United Nations service. She inspired the students with her experiences in East Timor and told the students and guests how Bangladesh is considered a model country in the world for the reduction of poverty.
Summer 2010 – ULAB Students create BDword.com, online English-Bangla dictionary, was created by ULAB students from the Departments of English & Humanities and Computer Science & Engineering.
Film Premiers
July 2010 – MSJ students premiered their film, Signal 10 Red Alert, at the National Museum.
August 2010 – MSJ students premiered their film, Ujaney Mrittu (Death Before Dawn), at the Russian Cultural Center.
Citi Financial IT Case Competition 2009 Champions
2009 – ULAB’s programming team, ULAB-GEEKS, won the championship of the Citi Financial IT Case Competition (CFICC) in 2009, with a mobile banking solution. The competition saw 54 teams from 20 universities, both public and private. The second ULAB team, ULAB-DILIGENT, was placed in the top ten in the same competition.