IUB participates in the ESDP project along with UK and German varsities

Harry K Thomas, US ambassador in Bangladesh, speaks at the seminar

A seminar on the event was held on May 15 at Spectra Convention Centre at Gulshan, Dhaka. The project aims to develop and run university-level short courses on educational software development and production.

The seminar got off to a start with a welcome speech by Professor M Anwar, director, School of Communication, IUB. "The project is going to facilitate students with courses which will aid them to systematically develop and manage software," said Anwar about the project.

"Setting up e-learning requires collective information and organised course curriculum for the educational software which makes the overall process complicated," said Dr Bibhuti Roy, project co-ordinator, Bremen University, Germany. It was previously the computer-based training that allowed offline schooling and this led to web-based training that has now enhanced the educational methodology with online education, group learning and discussions including universities, schools, enterprises and individuals. He also explained that product knowledge, developer and user's requirements of any given software would aid them to formulate the curriculum.

"ESDP is a comprehensive and interlaced process that requires system thinking and process knowledge," said Dr. Roy.

Towheed Samad, chairman of the Education, Science, Technology and Cultural Development Trust, commended the efforts of the three universities toward the formulation of such courses.

Anthony Goodwin, first counsellor and head of operations section, Delegation of the European Commission to Bangladesh, said, "Developing countries try to provide citizens with better learning and communicational environment and the European Commission had always funded such projects."

The project costs €90,000, which is financed by the EC under the Asia Information Technology and Communication (IT&C) programme. Through this collaboration, the Asia IT&C aims to improve co-operation between Asia and Europe in the identification and implementation of IT solutions. Instructors and students from the three universities would develop the software in a joint effort.

Specific objectives of the ESDP include providing students of computer science, engineering and ICT in Bangladesh, with the possibility to attend and learn the European standards and market need oriented high level course in the domain of designing and developing educational software, particularly in the field of 3D modelling, process simulation, animation and didactic project management.

"Assistance in software development project would help local participants to concentrate in science and computers," said Harry K Thomas, US ambassador in Bangladesh, who paid a short visit to the seminar.

"A substantial amount of investment is required for such notable projects to be initiated in the country," said Education Minister Osman Farruk, who was the chief guest. "The curriculum will be based on EC and Bangladeshi software and such an input will lead to trained resources," said the minister.

"Youngsters of this generation are referred to as the dot com generation. The project as the name suggests will usher in a new era," said Bazlul Mobin Chowdhury, vice- chancellor, IUB.