ব্র্যাক ইউনিভার্সিটি | |
Other name | BracU |
---|---|
Motto | Inspiring Excellence[1] |
Type | Private research |
Established | 2001 |
Founder | Fazle Hasan Abed |
Accreditation | |
Affiliation | University Grants Commission (UGC) |
Chancellor | President Mohammed Shahabuddin |
Vice-Chancellor | Syed Mahfuzul Aziz [2] |
Academic staff | 649 |
Students | 16,375 (2023) |
Undergraduates | 10,029 |
Postgraduates | 1171 |
Address | Kha-224 Bir Uttam Rafiqul Islam Avenue, Merul Badda , , 1212 , 23°46′24″N 90°25′29″E / 23.7732°N 90.4246°E |
Campus | Urban |
Language | English |
Colours | Blue, Black, Gray |
Website | www |
Brac University, (Bengali: ব্র্যাক ইউনিভার্সিটি, also known as BracU) is a private research university located in Merul Badda, Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was established in 2001 as a branch of Sir Fazle Hasan Abed's BRAC under the Private University Act 1992.[3]
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed founded BRAC University in 2001, under the Private University Act.[4] Located at Merul Badda, Dhaka, the university is based on the American liberal arts college model. The university began with just three departments and around 80 students in 2001 at Mohakhali, Dhaka.[5][6] It held its first Convocation in January 2006. As the university grew, it increased the number of programs and introduced master's degrees.[7] The development of a library with high academic standards was important to Sir Abed. The Ayesha Abed Library was digitized shortly after its inception.[8] The university had 11,200 students in 20 schools, departments, and institutes in 2020.[citation needed]
BRAC University has a permanent campus in Merul Badda, Dhaka, a campus designed by WOHA Designs Pte Ltd., an architectural firm based in Singapore.[9] Construction of this facility began in 2017. The university building has 14 floors and a total area of 157,935 sq. meters. The facilities include an auditorium with 700 seats, a multipurpose hall with 1850 seats, classrooms, labs, design studios, lecture theaters, an IT data center, UPS, CCTVs, a cafeteria, an e-library, a parking lot, recreation facilities, and a rooftop playground.[10] The new campus is 2017 LafargeHolcim Asia Pacific- Bronze Winner awarded by LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction. Until November 2023, the educational programs were conducted at the temporary campus of Mohakhali, but from now on, all the activities will be conducted at the permanent campus of Merul Badda.[11]
The Residential Campus at Savar was founded in 2003 and substantially expanded in 2012.[12] Students spend a semester on the Residential Campus, where they take specific courses and fulfill community tasks during the week. Residential Semester is mandatory for every student. On Fridays and Saturdays, they visit orphanages, nursing homes, and landmark sites.
The current structure was established in 2011.[16] The President of Bangladesh is BRAC University's Chancellor. The board of trustees is the highest policy-making body of BRAC University.[17] It has 12 members, one of them being the Vice-Chancellor. Chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, the Syndicate supervises the academic and administrative functions of the university.[17] The Academic Council, also chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, makes education policy recommendations and reviews curricula and academic progress.[17]
The university administration is led by the Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar, and the Heads of academic units.[18]
Year of Joining | Expiration of Tenure of Office | Name |
2001 | 2010 | Jamilur Reza Choudhury |
2010 | 2014 | Ainun Nishat |
2014 | 2018 | Syed Saad Andaleeb |
2019 | 2023[19] | Vincent Chang |
2023 | present | Syed Mahfuzul Aziz |
Diverse academic units serve the mission of BRAC University. Departments have degree-granting programs, schools support strategic initiatives, institutes are autonomous research entities, and centers are project-based entities.
BRAC University was founded to support financially disadvantaged students. One of the early donors was the BRAC Ford scholarship program. The university has developed several scholarship programs for national and international students. The Open Society Foundation and the Open Society University Network have supported student activities and education.
The Office of Student Life (OSL) was created in 2019. OSL supervises the Department of Career Services, Alumni Affairs, and Clubs & Societies.
Many of the private university students of Bangladesh live with their parents during their university life. However, BRAC University has a mandatory residential semester at their Savar residential campus.