The Institute of Bangladesh Studies (IBS) of Rajshahi University (RU) founded with the aim of catering to the country's special needs by producing an advanced cadre of broad specialties to provide leadership in the academic and developmental fields.
The IBS is a unique of its kind established by the University of Rajshahi act, 1973, as an advanced centre for inter-disciplinary study and research on various aspects of Bangladesh.
Since the establishment, the IBS is conducting scientific studies and research in the fields of humanities, social business, law and non-experimental science offering programmes for MPhil and PhD degrees.
This institute was established on the 25th September 1973; under act of Bangladesh parliament no XXVI of 1973, described as the Rajshahi University Act. Since then , the IBS first of its kind in the country, has been entrusted with a role not only of providing facilities to pursuing advance research degrees like MPhil and PhD but also of developing an integrated approach to Bangladesh studies.
IBS are set out to increase the number of creative and competent research personal through training and education in Bangladesh-oriented multi-disciplinary subjects to increase availability of research material on history, economy, society and culture of Bangladesh.
This institute is placed at the east side of RU campus with entrance at the binodpur bazzar gate which has three-storied 15000 sft administrative and academic building, a 21000 sft four-storied dormitory for research fellow.
To undertake research projects in corporation with public and privates organisations as and when necessary under mutual agreements is the prime objectives of the IBS.
The IBS deals with these interdependent problem areas for research.
The approach, therefore, has always been multi-disciplinary.
IBS expects to be a centre of excellence and maintain an efficient system of instruction, research, publication, documentation, and administrations, for which innovative practices are to be adopted.
To this end the institute has already adopted the course and semester systems for its M. Phil and ph.D programmes. Students and research fellows are trained to develop an analytical mind, and an insight into the interdisciplinary approach.
The institute makes special efforts to train up personal keeping in view the needs of the departments, especially facilities introduction of new and useful fields, such as social science research methodology, communication, demography, village studies, ethnic arts, historiography, intellectual history, folk culture, environment and natural resources etc.
The institute also seeks to bring government's resource personal and university teachers in closer interactions through seminars, symposia and action research. It is hoped that this will also help the institute to collect and process useful government source materials to aid research and instruction.
The institute's two-storied library is rich with diversified up-to-date collection of books, journals, yearbooks, reports, these journals, magazines, newspapers, and various published and unpublished documents. It has good collection of rare materials.
Professor Dr. Jakir Hossain, director of IBS told this correspondent as an academy of Bengal studies and of authentic learning about contemporary Bangladesh the 45 years old institute by now fairly known throughout the globe of south-Asian studies. Despite limitations and infesting problems, IBS has made commendable strides and is steadily advancing towards fulfillment.
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