Dhaka University (DU) received a new vice-chancellor (VC) and treasurer on Tuesday. Professor Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan has been appointed as the 30th vice-chancellor (VC), while Prof Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has been appointed as the treasurer of Dhaka University.
The Ministry of Education has issued separate official notices in this regard.
“According to Article 11 (2) of the Dhaka University Order, 1973 with the approval of the president and chancellor, Prof Niaz Ahmed Khan, PHD, Development Studies Department of the Dhaka University, has been appointed temporary as the Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the University,” read an official notice from the education ministry.
A former chairman of the Department of Development Studies at DU, Prof Niaz Ahmed Khan has been serving as the pro vice-chancellor of Independent University, Bangladesh.
Prof Niaz is a senior academic adviser of National Defence College (NDC), senior academic adviser of BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), and chairman of Bangladesh Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation (Arannayk Foundation).
He was born in the Chattogram district, pursued higher education in the University of Oxford, University of Wales Swansea and Asian Institute of Technology. His career reflects a rich blend of academic and practicing development management experiences gained in Bangladesh, Thailand and the UK.
Besides, he is serving as Bangladesh Country Representative of IUCN – the International Union for Conservation of Nature – the world’s largest environmental network organisation.
Apart from this, Prof Niaz was senior programme coordinator of UNDP-Bangladesh, Forest and Natural Resource Management Specialist (RETA 5900) of Asian Development Bank (ADB), South Asian fellow of Queen Elizabeth House of the Oxford University, distinguished visiting researcher of The American University in Cairo, Manager (Operations) of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and distinguished visiting professor of Asian University for Women (AUW).
He has published prolifically (more than 170 refereed publications including some 45 in Web of Science and/or Scopus indexed journals) on such broad fields as environment, natural resource management, and social/community development.
Prof Niaz regularly contributes to high panel government and civil society committees and boards, and acts as a resource person and academic adviser to key national military and civil service training institutions.
Another official notice from the Education Ministry said, “According to Article 14 (1) of the Dhaka University Order, 1973 with the approval of the president and chancellor, Prof Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Prof of the Finance Department of the Dhaka University, has been appointed as the treasure of the University”
The notice added, “After joining as the treasure of the university, he will serve the university for 4 years.”
Prof Jahangir Alam Chowdhury is serving as a chairman at the Finance Department and the executive director of the Center for Microfinance and Development at DU.
He received his M Com in Finance and Banking from the Dhaka University and PhD in Banking and Finance from the Stirling University, United Kingdom.
Prof. Chowdhury’s research focuses on microfinance, poverty, entrepreneurship, payment for ecosystem services, and social business.
His research has been funded by the Association of Commonwealth Universities, SANDEE, University of Stirling, Royal Economic Society, Asian Scholarship Foundation, Government of Japan, Bureau of Business Research, Partnership for Economic Policy, Grand Challenges Canada, Microfinance Management Institute and Government of Taiwan.
Professor Chowdhury has published in various scholarly journals. He has acted as a consultant to national and international agencies including the World Bank, CIDA, DFID, FAO, UNDP, PKSF, and the Government of Bangladesh.
