Friday | 14 February 2025 | Reg No- 06
বাংলা
   
Friday | 14 February 2025 | Epaper
BREAKING: Police disperse protesters at Shahbagh using water cannons      Jamaat wants necessary reforms before polls      Decision on RAB-police after discussion: Jahangir       Prof Yunus led National Consensus Commission to start work on Feb 15      Ship with 52,500 MT of Argentinian wheat arrives      BNP files complaint against Hasina at ICT      145 more undocumented Bangladeshis return from Libya      

Postgraduate Thesis

Conditions spark criticism among students at JnU

Published : Saturday, 25 January, 2025 at 12:00 AM  Count : 267
Jagannath University (JnU) recently issued an official notification introducing specific conditions for allocating a thesis to postgraduate students.
 
The notification, signed by Registrar Prof. Dr. Md. Gias Uddin on January 19, has sparked widespread criticism among students.
It stipulates that supervisors or co-supervisors of the postgraduate thesis must hold a PhD, MPhil, or master's degree with a thesis. Furthermore, a qualified teacher can supervise a maximum of three postgraduate students per academic year.
The notification also states that departments or institutes with 80 or fewer seats for undergraduate (honors) or BBA first-year students may allocate thesis opportunities to up to 20% of those seats at the postgraduate level. For departments with more than 80 seats, this allocation is capped at 10%. Only students who have achieved a minimum CGPA of 3.00 (out of 4.00) at the undergraduate or BBA level are eligible to undertake a thesis.

Supervisor allocation for postgraduate theses will be determined either through a lottery system or by the academic committee of the respective department or institute. Students will not be allowed to choose their supervisors. If a qualified teacher declines to act as a supervisor and no other alternative exists, the teacher will be required to assume the role.

These decisions were initially made during the university's 72nd Academic Council meeting on December 9, 2024, and subsequently approved at the 99th Syndicate meeting on January 2, 2025. A committee was also formed on December 5, 2024, to draft a comprehensive policy for thesis allocation. Until the policy is finalized, the interim measures outlined in the circular will remain in effect.

This decision has drawn sharp criticism from students, who argue that it restricts academic freedom and research opportunities. Many have pointed out that a university's reputation heavily relies on its research output, and limiting research opportunities could adversely affect its global rankings.

A student from the Faculty of Science expressed frustration over the conditions, saying, "Postgraduate students often view thesis work as a stepping stone to securing admission in prestigious international universities. Placing restrictions like a CGPA requirement and limiting the number of thesis opportunities deprives students of this crucial chance. Capping thesis allocations at 20% is neither fair nor student-friendly."

Supporting the students' concerns, Prof. Dr. Imranul Haque, Director of the university's Research Cell, highlighted the need for broader access to research opportunities. He said, "This decision unnecessarily limits students' research opportunities, prompting criticism. The 20% cap should be reconsidered, although the CGPA 3.00 requirement seems reasonable. Our focus should be on expanding opportunities, not restricting them."

He added, "If a supervisor can achieve excellent results with a student, it's a win for the university. However, we must develop a fair methodology to manage cases where multiple supervisors wish to guide the same student."

Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Md. Rezaul Karim assured students that their concerns will be considered. He stated, "A committee has been formed to review the matter. Based on their recommendations, we will soon arrive at a decision. I am confident we will implement a solution that benefits everyone."



LATEST NEWS
MOST READ
Also read
Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Online: 41053014; Advertisement: 41053012.
E-mail: [email protected], news©dailyobserverbd.com, advertisement©dailyobserverbd.com, For Online Edition: mailobserverbd©gmail.com
🔝
close