The Department of English and Humanities (DEH) of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) organized its 7th Inter-University Student Conference and Cultural Competition on December 29-30, 2021. The theme of the conference and competition was “Fifty Years of Bangladesh’s Independence: Language, Literature, and Culture,” chosen by the department as a celebration of fifty years of the independence of Bangladesh. The two-day conference was also graced by the presence of Professor Imran Rahman, Vice-Chancellor, ULAB; Professor Dr. Shamsad Mortuza, Pro-Vice-Chancellor; Arifa Ghani Rahman, Head of the Department of English and Humanities, and other faculty members, among others.

The first day of the conference comprised the academic presentation session, which was held online. The conference received an overwhelming response, with students from as many as sixteen public and private universities presenting their papers. The distinguished judge for the event was Professor Razia Sultana Khan, hailing from the Department of English, Independent University Bangladesh. Following the insightful paper presentations and subsequent question-answer sessions, a Roundtable Discussion segment was held, moderated by Sarah Anjum Bari, Lecturer (Adjunct) at the Department of English and Humanities, ULAB, and the Editor of Daily Star Books. The discussion centered around the theme: “The Youth’s Aspirations for Quality of Education in Bangladesh”. The subject of discussion proved quite relevant to the attending students, as it helped them understand the challenges currently facing Bangladesh in the field of education, as well as how the youth could perceive the future of the education sector in Bangladesh.

The cultural competition session was held on the following day at Shilpakala Academy. Vibrant performances from the students of participating universities awed the judges and audiences. The conference finally concluded with the prize-giving ceremony for both the academic presentation segment and the cultural competition segment, and so the curtains came down on the 7th Inter-University Student Conference and Cultural Competition, hosted by the Department of English and Humanities, ULAB.