Environmental Science Discipline
Khulna University
Khulna University was
established on January 04, 1987 to fulfill the aspiration of the community of
southwestern coastal Bangladesh for a higher education hub at their locality. During
1990 Khulna University Act was validated in Bangladesh Jatiya Sangbad (Parliament)
and the academic activities of the University was formally initiated on
November 25, 1991. The University is located along the Khulna-Satkhira Highway about
four kilometers from the heart of the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) on the bank
of river Mayur. Initially this
university started it’s academic program with four Disciplines such as
Architecture, Computer Science and Engineering, Urban and Rural Planning and
Business Administration having 20 students in each disciplines. Two more
disciplines e.g., Marine Biology (renamed as Fisheries and Marine Resource
Technology) and Forestry and Wood Technology were added during 1992 – also enrolling
20 students in each. Currently the university hosts 29 disciplines in eight
schools and there are two Institutes as well with a total number of 6,947
students and 504 teachers.
Environmental Science Discipline
Vision
The vision of the Environmental Science Discipline in Khulna University
is to stride for achieving a healthy environment supportive of
robust ecosystems by and for all life on the Earth and beyond.
Mission
The mission of the
Environmental Science Discipline of Khulna University is to effectively
disseminate the knowledge on fundamentals of the earth and the ecosystems, and
their dynamism through creating skilled learners who will take the opportunity
of facing the challenges of achieving the sustainable development goals.
Discipline – at a glance
Environmental Science
Discipline was established on February 24, 1997 and is the pioneer in offering
undergraduate academic degree program on Environmental
Sciences in the country. The discipline started undergraduate academic
session from academic year 1996-1997. The discipline views environment as a
holistic subject and incorporates physical, chemical and biological sciences of
the environment along with subjects from engineering and technology,
socio-economics and management aspects of the environment. The undergraduate
academic program consists of eight Terms
of 39 weeks duration that to be completed within five years earning a minimum
of 140 credits. The discipline started offering one and half year MS degree
program in Environmental Science from 2004, and MPhil and PhD degree program from
2011. Besides, the discipline is conducting Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in
Disaster and Disaster Management from 2021-2022 academic session. For more on
course curricula please visit <discipline.ku.ac.bd/es>. Up till now the
discipline has produced around 700 graduates who are involved with diverse
professional activities both in home and abroad.
The Environmental Science
Discipline is currently enriched with twenty one full time faculty members having
expertise on classical and applied field of research on environment. The emerging
fields of environmental science is receiving outmost importance. The faculty
members are active in collaborative research with many transnational
universities/organizations such as Utrecht University, Wageningen University,
Jawaharlal Nehru University, Vanderbilt University, Worldfish, OXFAM and
others. They are also intimately engaged with conventions, conferences,
seminars and other colloquium of national and international importance. Please
visit for more on faculty members: <https://discipline.ku.ac.bd/es/faculties>.
The discipline nourish
its societal obligation by enrolling two students – one for progeny of freedom
fighters and one for the tribal community – as reserved quota. Currently
(2021-2022 academic session) there are 215 undergraduate, 39 Master’s and 8 PhD
students engaged in achieving the respective academic degrees.
The Discipline maintains nine
research laboratories equipped with advanced analytical instruments and tools
for research and learnings on environmental science and one field laboratory
for experimental purposes. Higher
Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP) assisted generously in upgrading
the laboratories and teaching facilities of the discipline. For details please
visit : <discipline.ku.ac.bd/es>
The seminar library of the
Discipline currently accommodates around 5000 titles of books, periodicals and
journals. A copy of all undergraduate and graduate dissertations completed by
researchers is also available in the seminar library. The research topic for around
300 undergraduate and 200 graduate dissertations completed till 2021 may be
seen at <https://www.facebook.com/Environmental-Science-Discipline-Khulna-University-Bangladesh-106859141564914/>.
A good number of graduates
from Environmental Science Discipline are currently active with diverse
academic engagements at many universities of Australia, Belgium, Canada, China,
Finland, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland,
Thailand, The Netherlands, United States of America, United Kingdom and others
countries. Also many have availed prestigious scholarships awarded worldwide
such as Monbukagakusho, World Bank,
ADB-JSP, Erasmus Mundus, VLRI, The Netherlands Fellowship program (NFP), DAAD,
IPRS, Endeavour, ALA, AusAid, PM scholarship, Bangabandhu scholarship etc.
Achievements and Awards
Professor Dr. Abdullah
Harun Chowdhury has been awarded Gold Medal in Biological Science (Junior
Group) by the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (BAS) for his contribution in the
field of Environmental Sciences in 2009. As a reward to quality environmental
education and research, Environmental Science Discipline of Khulna University was
awarded certificate of excellence on Environment by the Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in
2010. Wahidur Rahman Rana a student of 1998 Batch was the Fastest Man at the
Inter-University Games 2002, Bangladesh.
Ex-faculty members of the
Discipline
Name |
Current Affiliation |
Dr. Sadiqul Awal |
Lecturer,
Melbourne Polytechnic, Victoria, Australia |
Dr. Md. Salequzzaman |
Not available |
Dr. Md. Rakib Uddin |
Retired |
Dr. Subrota Kumar Saha |
Professor,
Department of Geology, Dhaka University, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh |
Dr. Md. Mezbaul Bahar |
Research Fellow, Global Centre for
Environmental Remediation, University of Newcastle, Australia |
Dr. Md. Salim Uddin |
Professor, Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology, Rajshahi University, Rajshahi, Bangladesh |
Mr. Kushal Roy |
Not available |
Dr. Tapan Kumar Sarker |
Professor, Discipline Head (Finance), School
of Business, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, Queensland, Australia |
Dr. Wahidul Karim
Biswas |
Associate Professor, Sustainable
Engineering Group, School of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Curtin
University, Australia |
Dr. Shakil Ahmed
Ferdoshi |
Not available |
Dr Md Nazim Uddin |
Adjunct Fellow, College of Engineering
& Science, Victoria University, Australia |