Dr. A K M Nazrul Islam
Associate Professor of Environmental Economics at Dhaka School of Economics
Dear, I have to hear a lot of questions about my current workplace, my favorite institution, Dhaka School of Economics. For example, why this institution is called ‘school’, what are its educational activities, whether it is an institution of Dhaka University, etc. Today, I would like to present to you some information about the birth of ‘Dhaka School of Economics’, the importance of this institution, its educational activities, etc.
(1) Since the independence of Bangladesh, it has been thought many times for establishing a specialized institution of higher education in the economy as “London School of Economics and Political Science” or the “Delhi School of Economics”. But for various reasons, it was not possible until 2010.
(2) In 2010, by the leadership of the then president of the Bangladesh Economy Association and country’s leading economist Dr. of Kazi Khalikuzzaman Ahmed, overall supervision of the Bangladesh Economy Association and under the auspices of the Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ‘Dhaka School of Economics’ started its formal activities as an affiliated institution of Dhaka University. The company is currently continuing its education activities at ‘Bangladesh Economy Society’ and ‘SWID Bangladesh’ on Eskaton Garden Road in the capital. Very soon Dhaka School of Economics hopes to relocate its own campus at Purbachal.
(3) From the year 2012, the institution formally started its educational activities at the postgraduate level. Initially, the institution’s education program started with a ‘Postgraduate Diploma’ in Economics and a Masters Degree in Environmental Economics. Later, it started two more postgraduate degrees in development economics and entrepreneurial economics.
(4) In view of the rapidly changing world economy at this time, the Dhaka School of Economics has already started three specialized degrees at the undergraduate level, in order to meet the ever-increasing demand in the highly specialized field of the economy and to tackle the country’s economy and maximize utilization of resources:
- ‘Environment and Natural Resources Economy’, which is started 2015-16 academic session;
- The ‘Development Economy’, which started from 2018-19 sessions; And
- The student has started enrolling in the entrepreneurial economy from the current session. In the near future, the institution intends to start undergraduate, postgraduate and research-theological degrees in another specialized branch of the economy.
5) In the current academic year (2019-20), the institution is enrolling at the graduate level in the above three special matters:
- ‘Environment and Natural Resource Economy’,
- ‘Development Economy’, and
- ‘Entrepreneurship Economy’.
Interested persons will be able to apply for these three subjects in the prescribed form by November 17th. The admission test will be held on November 22 and the selected candidates will be interviewed on November 23 for final selection.
The availability of natural resources and its proper use plays a crucial role in accelerating the economic activities of a country. Natural resources or natural capital plays two major roles in a country’s economy: a regular supply of produce or consumption and keeping our environment clean through poor maturity.
Dhaka School of Economics Environment Economics Program
Over time, the development of human civilization and the expansion of human economic activities through the globalization of information and production, consumption, often its inadequate production and consumption behavior do not lead to an unequal society. It leads to temporary and long-term problems. Global warming and climate change, deforestation, wetland erosion, water-to-noise pollution, etc. are examples of some of the everyday problems of human society.
Our natural resource goes for destruction itself for various reasons. One of the main reasons for this is that due to lack of accurate information about natural resources, lack of proper knowledge of their economic importance, lack of market value etc. This natural resource depletion is on the way today. This rapid and arbitrary depletion of real wealth will not only put our economy at risk in the days ahead but will also push a large population of economically vulnerable and society into uncertainty.
For the sake of a healthy global economy and human civilization, this environment-defying production system must be brought under control quickly. And for that first, we need to know the environment and gain a thorough knowledge of its holdings. Effective policy-making, ensuring the proper use of resources and their unwanted depletion is essential to properly understand natural resources, understanding the consumer’s needs and range and accordingly ensuring resource utilization
That’s why we want the skilled human resource
In keeping with that noble purpose and to tackle the economy of Bangladesh in the coming days, in South Asia the Dhaka School of Economics launched its first regular Master’s Program in ‘Environment Economy’ in April 2012 under Dhaka University. This program receives an overwhelming response from the beginning. Under this program, the classes of the 9th batch of 2019-20 academic year started last month. Meanwhile, Dhaka School of Economics has launched a highly specialized undergraduate program: “Bachelor of Economics in Environmental and Resource Economics”, under which the company has started its 5th batch enrollment program this year.
As far as is known, no other South Asian University has started this graduate program. Dhaka School of Economics ‘Department of Environment and Natural Resources Economics’ is the first in South Asia to be a specialty in this regard. There are a total of eight teachers in the department including three Ph.D. holders, all of whom are highly educated in environmental finance. The company has a huge collection of books, research reports, journals on environmental finance
