Feature

NSU Masters program on Resource and Environmental Management

NORTH South University (NSU) has signed a collaborative agreement with University of Manitoba (UM), Canada to introduce Masters in Resource and Environmental Management (MREM) program. This is a part of the enduring effort, under the guidance Dr. Hafiz G.A. Siddiqi, Vice Chancellor, to build capacity and internationalize NSU research and teaching programs.

The MREM program will shortly be launched at NSU with a six year funding of $1.6 Million (Taka 11 Crore). The Canadian Aid Agency, CIDA, has awarded $1 million and the partner institutions will contribute the rest. The funding was approved on the basis of stringent competition following the UM-NSU joint proposal. Dr. C. Emdad Haque, Director and Professor of the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), University of Manitoba and Dr. Mizan R. Khan, Chairman of the NSU Department of Environmental Science and Management (DESM) spearheaded the efforts on behalf of the partner institutions.

CIDA granted the funding as a University partnership in Cooperation and Development Project (UPCD). The project is focused on building environmental and natural resource governance and management capacity in Bangladesh. The goal is to establish an effective MREM program at NSU in partnerships with Institute of Governance Studies (IGS), BRAC University and Center for Natural Resources Studies (CNRS). IGS will launch Environmental Governance Certificate Program while CNRS will develop green micro enterprise.

The NSU-UM joint project “Building Environmental Governance Capacity in Bangladesh” will strive to strengthen institutional and human resource capacity in Environmental Governance of Bangladesh. The project will have a wider impact on poverty reduction and sustainable development in the country through sharing experience and knowledge on Environmental Governance innovation and through demonstrating successful local approaches to greening of micro-enterprises.

The 42-credit professional program will be conducted in the evening and will require 5 semesters to complete. Since this will be an experiential learning-based program, students will undergo a semester-wide field Practicum. They will do field works or internship. The remaining credits may be completed through elective course work.

Each year NSU plans to admit 25 students in the MREM Program emphasising gender balance. Students will receive stipend or tuition scholarship from CIDA grant money based on merit and need. Upon approval of the University Grants Commission, the program will be formally launched at NSU in early 2009.

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