Collected and Compiled by Quazi Farhina Hossain
DEH Fall 2021 Orientation
The Department of English and Humanities held its Orientation Program on October 28, 2021 to welcome the incoming BA and MA students of Fall 2021. The event took place at the Permanent Campus (PC) of ULAB, and offered the Freshers, along with their parents who were present, to experience the lush greenery of the environment and the wonderful facilities.
The Chief Guest at the Orientation was M. Shahadat Hossain, Executive Director, Dnet, and Founder & CEO, Astute Horse Marketing and Business Solutions, who demonstrated how English majors can achieve success by implementing their literary knowledge and creativity in their preferred career paths. He described a range of career opportunities that English majors can avail by dint of the training they receive as students.
The Head of the Department and Associate Professor, Ms. Arifa Ghani Rahman, welcomed the Freshers and introduced them to the faculty members of DEH. Subsequently, pieces of advice and good wishes were conveyed to the budding scholars by Professor Kaiser Haq and Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam. The Acting Vice Chancellor of ULAB, Professor Shamsad Mortuza delivered his speech to encourage the students to broaden their horizons and welcomed them to the DEH family. The Head of the Department then delivered her vote of thanks.
The cultural segment started with an opening song by Tasfiyah Saba, followed by a beautiful poetry recitation MA student, Risalat Rahman Hridoy. Rhyma Rahman Heya performed a dance and then two alumni of DEH, Mostafijur Rahman Shuvo and Afrena Siddique, shared their experiences as former students of ULAB. They offered valuable pieces of advice to the Freshers. Finally, the cultural program ended with the melodious voices of Tahosin Tasnim Hoque and Mustafa Zahir Sheikh, accompanied by guitarist Marzuk Ahmed Khan Majlish. Paper Canoe: ULAB Literary Society took care of decorating the stage and managing the cultural performances.
At the end of the program, Freshers and their guardians were divided into small groups and given a tour of the green Permanent Campus of ULAB by the volunteers. The tour arrangement and management of the event was handled by the TAs of the Department, Shahriyer Hossain Shetu and Vincent Dip Gomes, along with the help of the hardworking students who volunteered at the event: Benozir, Razin, Mubashshira, Tasmim, Sanzida, Masayal, Afrida, Mahjabeen, Muntakim, and Shihab.
First Forum of Curriculum Integration Program “Of Sustainability and Development: Academia Meets Practice”
The Department of English and Humanities at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) organized the first forum of the Fall 2021 Curriculum Integration Program on the theme “Of Sustainability and Development: Academia Meets Practice” on November 21, 2021. The guest speaker of the forum was Dr. Haseeb Md. Irfanullah, Independent Consultant – Environment and Climate Change and Research System and Visiting Research Fellow, CSD, ULAB. The focus of the forum was to engage the students of DEH with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in order to explore the different aspects of their studies in literature, language, and linguistics, and address issues such as inequality, quality education, and sustainable community. The main goal of this forum was to aid the students’ project representations that will be showcased at the end of the semester.
Dr. Haseeb Md. Irfanullah began the forum by initiating different definitions of sustainability addressed by the students of DEH. Then, he explained the importance of Sustainable Development, which is “to ensure transgenerational equity and justice as we progress and facilitate human and environmental well-being.” He also pointed out the United Nations SDGs Framework, the Aspects of SDG, the connection of ‘English’ with SDGs, the disciplines of SDGs, and the importance of SDGs on global and national levels. The most interesting part of the forum was the linking of ‘English’ with the Sustainable Development Goals as it helped students and faculty members visualize the connections between the SDGs and their respective courses. Dr. Haseeb used a few DEH courses, such as Restoration and 18th Century Literature, Modernism: Early 20th Century English Literature, Morphology and Syntax, and Postcolonial Theories and Literature, to make the connections clearer, more logical, and distinctive for the students which will greatly aid them in making their presentations.
Dr. Irfanullah concluded the forum with an open discussion for the students. He raised four questions for students as food for thought: First, our vision and actions to take as individuals and as global leaders; second, how the knowledge of the past can lead to the future; third, how we see the interactions among disciplines; and fourth, our thoughts on innovation in our approach as we lead a sustainable life. The forum ended with a question-answer session. The students of DEH participated actively in the entire forum. The emcee of the forum was Tasfiyah Saba, a student of DEH. Watch the forum at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvf8aUuFSsU
Second Forum of Curriculum Integration Program “Of Sustainability and Development: Academia Meets Practice”
The Department of English and Humanities at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) organized the Second Forum of the Fall 2021 Curriculum Integration Program on the theme “Of Sustainability and Development: Academia Meets Practice” on November 25, 2021. The guest speakers of the forum were Mr. Md. Maksud Ali, PhD Candidate, School of Education, University of Queensland, Australia, and Ms. Munasir Kamal, PhD Candidate, University of Leeds, UK and Assistant Professor (on leave), Dept. of English, University of Dhaka. Like the first forum of the Fall 2021 CI, conducted by Dr. Haseeb Md. Irfanullah, the second forum also focused on Sustainable Development and its 17 goals intermingling with literature and linguistics. The goal was to enlighten the students and faculty members of DEH with SDGs so that they can present multiple projects relating to their respective course(s), which will be showcased at the end of the semester.
The event formally started with a welcome speech by Prof. Shamsad Mortuza, Pro Vice-Chancellor, ULAB, and Dean of School of Arts and Humanities. Later, it was followed by the first guest speaker, Mr. Md. Maksud Ali. Mr. Ali spoke on “English and Development: Theoretical Perspectives, Policy Discourses, and Politics,” outlining the major understanding of the word “development” aligning with language and English with reference to the United Nations’ millennium goals. Mr. Ali also raised a few theoretical perspectives and policy discourses drawn from English in Action projects implemented in the Bangladeshi context. In addition, he also highlighted some of the political issues embedded within the discourses. He concluded his talk with some solutions that interrogate the hegemony of English development in development discourses in ELT, pointing out the dominant perspectives, and introducing the critical pedagogy in teacher education.
The second guest speaker, Ms. Munasir Kamal, focused more on students’ perspectives towards Sustainable Development Goals, and how they plan to implement them in their current and future practices. She spoke on the “Goals of Studying English and the Sustainable Development Goals.” In order to understand the goals of students, she initiated breakout rooms so that each student can share their future goals, and their reasoning to join the English department. The talk concluded with the song, “Kotoi Rongo Dekhi Duniyai” from Hirak Rajar Deshe, which relates to the Sustainable Development Goals.
The forum was hosted by Taznuba Afreen, a DEH Scholars Program student, and concluded by Ms. Tasmia Mayen, Lecturer, Department of English and Humanities and the coordinator of the Fall 2021 Curriculum Integration Program. Watch the forum at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKX8kuFLfXM.
Workshop on “Strategies for Research and Writing”
The Department of English and Humanities at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh organized a two-part workshop titled “Strategies for Research and Writing.” The first part, focusing on Academic Writing, was held during the Summer 2021 semester, and the second part, focusing on Research, was held on November 20, 2021. Both the sessions were conducted by Ms. Arifa Ghani Rahman, Associate Professor and Head of DEH, The aim of the workshop was to acquaint the students of ULAB with the standard methods and strategies of approaching, conducting and presenting research papers, proposals, and reports in an organized manner.
Part II of the workshop reiterated the ideas presented in Part I which included the dos and don’ts of formal writing. Part II focused on developing a research topic and research questions, conducting a background study, literature review, and using primary and secondary sources. As the capacity to conduct research is required for students of every discipline, the workshop generated interest amongst students from different departments at ULAB such as DEH, BBA, and MSJ. Students actively participated in the workshop and strengthened their conceptions regarding different elements of research.
DEH Lecture Series on Applied Linguistics and TESOL: Inaugural Episode
The inaugural episode of the DEH Lecture Series on Applied Linguistics and TESOL, organized by the Department of English and Humanities, ULAB, was held on December 4, 2021. The speakers at the inaugural episode were Professor Shaila Sultana, PhD, Department of English Language, IML, University of Dhaka, and former Advisor to CLS, ULAB, and Professor Muhammed Shahriar Haque, PhD, Professor, Department of English and Executive Director, EWU Center for Research and Training, East West University.
The objective of this lecture series is to disseminate knowledge and encourage participants, particularly young researchers and practitioners of Applied Linguistics and TESOL, to broaden their ideas and update their knowledge of teaching methods that can be used in the classroom to make learning of language more fun and interactive.
The first speaker, Dr. Shaila Sultana introduced her topic, “World Englishes & English Language Teaching in South Asia,” which provided a historical context of the use of English language, its development, research approaches, and English Language Teaching in relation to World Englishes in South Asia in light of some previous research findings. Dr. Sultana also shared some critical personal views on the topic that led to some interesting discussions.
The next presentation, “Relevance of Critical Discourse Analysis in the 21st Century,” was conducted by Professor Muhammed Shahriar Haque, PhD, which was equally enlightening and thought-provoking, focusing on the importance of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) in the context of Bangladesh’s education system. The program concluded with closing remarks from the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shamsad Mortuza.
There were registered participants from Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Narshingdi, Saidpur, Cumilla, Sylhet, Jamalpur, Noakhali, Pabna, and so on, all from different schools, colleges, and universities. Globally, there were registered participants from the UK, US, India (Kerala, Sindh, Kashmir, Gujrat, West Bengal, Hyderabad), Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia, Philippines.
Finally, in addition to the expected crowd from English/Language departments, there were participants from departments of Math, Business and Malayalam as well. The lecture series has been planned by Mohammad Mosiur Rahman, Senior Lecturer at DEH. Watch the inaugural episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0I4luVu8p8.
DEH Summer 2021 BA and MA Orientations
ULAB’s Department of English and Humanities welcomed its incoming undergraduate and graduate students of Summer 2021 through two separate online orientations organized on Google Meet. The undergraduate orientation was held on July 1, 2021 from 3 PM to 4:30 PM and the graduate orientation was held on July 3, 2021 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM.
Professor Dr. Shamsad Mortuza, the honorable Acting Vice-Chancellor of ULAB and the Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, was present at both programs to welcome the freshers.
At the BA in English Orientation, Head of Department, Associate Professor Ms. Arifa Ghani Rahman called the faculty members and the department staff to introduce themselves to the new students. Students from Batch 211 welcomed the incoming Batch 212 with some performances and a welcome speech by Fardeen Azwaad. The program was hosted by Fatema Aftab Miah. The MA orientation followed a similar pattern and was conducted by the MA Coordinator, Associate Professor Dr. Sohana Manzoor.
Among others, the professors of the department, Dr. Kaiser Haq and Dr. Syed Manzoorul Islam welcomed the new students with warm, insightful, and encouraging words for their upcoming exciting journey at ULAB. The new students then introduced themselves to the faculty members and students.
The posters for both programs were designed by MA student, Lutfun Naher Mahmud Oysharja.
DEH Alumni Talk: Radia Al Rashid on Aviation Linguistics
The Department of English and Humanities at ULAB organized a talk on aviation linguistics titled “Language Beyond the Skyline” on July 10, 2021. The talk was given by one of the department’s fresh graduates, Radia Al Rashid, whose undergraduate thesis topic was related to the field of aviation linguistics. Former High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Brunei Darussalam, Air Vice Marshal (Rtd) Mahmud Hussain, graced the talk as Special Guest and Discussant.
In her talk, Radia Al Rashid first introduced the concepts in aviation linguistics and provided a brief history of the field to the audience comprised of students and faculty members. Then she discussed the linguistic problems related to air traffic control that are often faced by aviators. She clarified the need to understand such problems as they can be crucial to the field of aviation where a slight misunderstanding can have devastating results.
After her talk, Air Vice Marshal (Rtd) Mahmud Hussain was introduced to the audience by the Head of Department, Associate Professor Ms. Arifa Ghani Rahman. Air Vice Marshal (Rtd) Hussain discussed the field of aviation linguistics from his real life experiences. He suggested that the topic is important and a PhD research on it would enormously help the people working in the field of aviation. The talk was arranged online on Google Meet and hosted by Shahriyer Hossain Shetu. The vote of thanks was delivered by the Head of Department, Ms. Arifa Ghani Rahman, who concluded the program.
The full version of the talk may be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/ulabdeh/videos/975750929938394
DEH Eid Adda 2021
ULAB’s Department of English and Humanities (DEH) organized a virtual get-together for Eid titled “Eid Adda: Togetherness from Home” in celebration of the occasion of Eid al-Adha. The event was held over Zoom on July 23, 2021. Ms. Arifa Ghani Rahman, Head of the Department of English and Humanities, gave the welcome speech for the program and shared some of her fun Eid memories.
Professor Shamsad Mortuza, Acting Vice-chancellor, ULAB, and Dean, School of Arts and Humanities, then shared his Eid experience with everyone and encouraged the students to stay mentally strong and positive during the ongoing pandemic.
The hosts of the event were Shahriyer Hossain Shetu and Vincent Dip Gomes, who constantly engaged faculty members, students, and alumni in exciting and humorous question/answer sessions as everyone shared their memories and experiences of Eid.
The cultural segment of the program included lively performances of songs, poetry recitation, a skit, and a dance. The center of attraction of the program was the head-to-head debate between two groups on the topic of “Cow vs Goat? Who do we Love the Most?” All the faculty members and students joined in and contributed to this debate and gave creative reasons justifying why they favor one over the other. The episodic skit, prepared and acted in by DEH undergrad students, was then performed. The play, written and directed by the students, depicted, in a hilarious manner, some common scenarios people experience during Eid-al Adha.
At the end of the program, Vincent Dip Gomes, gave the vote of thanks and brought the program to a close. The poster for the program was designed by Amimul Ihsan (Fahad) from batch 191, DEH.
The event was a great success and provided some much-needed respite for the faculty members, students, and MA and BA alumni from DEH who joined in. The event was fully planned and executed by a 15-member student volunteer team from DEH led by Vincent Dip Gomes.
Prior to releasing the notice for the event, the organizing team published a fun trailer video to attract the audience. The trailer can be viewed at: https://www.facebook.com/ulabdeh/videos/2636033200031718