The Department of English and Humanities at ULAB is organising a national roundtable on “Responsible Research and Publication in the Humanities” on Thursday, bringing together scholars and academic leaders from universities across Bangladesh.
The invitation-only roundtable will be held from 10am to 12pm at the ULAB campus.
The program will be inaugurated by Professor Shamsad Mortuza, PhD, vice chancellor of ULAB, while Dr Abu Saleh Mohammad Rafi, associate professor, Department of English and Humanities, ULAB, will convene and moderate the discussion.
The roundtable comes at a time when Bangladesh's research landscape has expanded considerably, creating new opportunities for universities and researchers to enhance their national and international research presence. The growth, however, has also brought renewed attention to research quality and integrity, responsible publication practices, academic mentorship, publication incentives, and support for emerging researchers.
These issues are particularly relevant to the humanities, where researchers increasingly have to navigate complex publication environments, including journal selection, peer-review standards, authorship and citation practices, emerging uses of generative AI, and changing approaches to research assessment.
The roundtable aims to provide a platform for scholars and academic leaders to discuss these challenges and explore how universities can foster meaningful scholarly contributions while supporting researchers in making informed and responsible decisions about research and publication.
The discussants include Professor Shaila Sultana of BRAC University; Professor Mohammad Shafiqul Islam, PhD, of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology; Professor Sarker Hasan Al Zayed, PhD, of Independent University, Bangladesh; Professor Farzana Yesmen Chowdhury, PhD, of the University of Chittagong; Qumrul Hasan Chowdhury, PhD, of the University of Dhaka; Nazia Manzoor, PhD, of North South University; and Professor Anwar H. Joarder, PhD, Director, Office of Faculty Research, ULAB.
The initiative is intended to commence a broader national conversation rather than conclude it. The roundtable therefore seeks to move beyond a one-off academic event towards a constructive contribution to strengthening responsible, meaningful and sustainable research cultures in Bangladesh.
The initiative is part of ULAB's continuing commitment to academic excellence and integrity and seeks to encourage greater dialogue among researchers and academic institutions on the future of research and publication in Bangladesh.