Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid on Tuyesday (17 July) inaugurated the newly established Department of Japanese Studies of Dhaka University (DU).
Department of Japanese Studies organized the inaugural programme.
The new discipline will underpin academic efforts related to Japan and Asia pacific region and strives to become a centre of excellence eventually at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban on DU campus.
Japan’s Ambassador Hiroyasu Izumi and DU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman spoke on the occasion.
Nahid said that the launching of Japanese Studies Department will intensify the relationships between the two friendly nations.
“A historical relationship exists between Bangladesh and Japan. Japanese people and their mass media rendered all out support and assistance during the War of Liberation in 1971,” he said.
He urged the students of Japanese Studies Department to lead Bangladesh through acquiring knowledge and conducting research works.
DU VC Prof Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman said that regional and country studies are needed for overall progress of a developing country like Bangladesh.
Department of Japanese Studies will study and research on Japan which will help meeting unmet up-to-date knowledge in comparative studies.
DU Pro-VC (Academic) Professor Dr Nasreen Ahmed, Pro-VC (Administration) Professor Dr Muhammad Samad, DU Social Sciences faculty dean Prof Dr Sadeka Halim and founding chairman of Japanese Studies department Professor Dr Abul Barkat, among others, also spoke.
Students got admitted for the first time in BSS (Hons.) in Japanese Studies in 2017-18 academic sessions under the Faculty of Social Sciences.
Source: BSS
