Bangladesh Programme

There is currently no academic research programme focused on contemporary Bangladesh in the UK. The South Asia Centre is committed to develop a dedicated community of researchers to examine issues of concern in modern-day Bangladesh, making the Centre the hub for Bangladeshrelated events and research in the UK & Europe. Establishing a new programme on Bangladesh that breaks new ground is a formidable challenge. Most current research focuses on issues of development, ready-made garments & the economy, export fragility, gender violence, climate, and more recently, extremism. The South Asia Centre seeks to incorporate all these concerns into a wider programme that at once acknowledges the current challenges confronting Bangladesh, and looks to the future to explore new, interdisciplinary arenas of research. Most importantly, the Centre wants to reach out to experts in Bangladesh with grassroots experience to create a more informed and bottom upwardsapproach to understanding the complex problems that confront the nation today.

Select themes include:

• Youth & Capacity-Building
• Democracy & Populist Futures
• Living Heritage & Sustainable Livelihoods
• Food & Energy Security
• Urbanisation & the Middle Class
• Citizenship, Diaspora & Identity
• Aspirational Bangladesh
• Bangladesh between South Asia & Southeast Asia

The Bangladesh programme will comprise multiple elementsof cross-cutting research and academic enterprise, including

• focused research themes and clusters;
• visiting Professorships and Senior Fellowships;
• Junior Fellowships;
• seminars, conferences, public lectures and otheracademic events;
• diffusion programmes for visiting studentsfrom Bangladesh.

The Centre also aims to work with private institutions, international organisations, non-government organisations,and individuals to develop capacity for leadership amongst new-age, younger generation Bangladeshis; create international networks of academics, business leaders and community professionals to link-up and debate Bangladesh globally; develop policy-focused analysis; and curate collaborative events in the UK and in Bangladesh. A central aim of the South Asia Centre is to engage with the central and local governments through capacity-building initiatives and research-based policy planning.