JnU honours 104 students with first-ever Dean’s Award

Jagannath University (JnU) conferred its first-ever Dean’s Awards on 104 students in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements.

The awards were presented today at a ceremony held at the university's central auditorium.

Among the recipients, 21 students were from the Faculty of Arts, 16 from the Faculty of Business Studies, 15 from the Faculty of Science, 17 from the Faculty of Social Sciences, 29 from the Faculty of Life and Earth Sciences, three from the Faculty of Law, and three from the Faculty of Fine Arts.

Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon attended the event as the chief guest. Special guests included Dhaka-7 lawmaker Hamidur Rahman Hamid; education secretary Abdul Khalek; JnU treasurer Prof. Sabina Sharmin; and acting president of the university teachers' association Prof. Monzur Morshed Bhuiya. The programme was presided over by JnU Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Rais Uddin.

Addressing the event, the education minister said the government plans to gradually increase education spending to five percent of the country's GDP, stressing that ensuring stability and quality in education remains a key priority.

"International organisations, including UNESCO, have recommended allocating at least six percent of GDP to the education sector. In the past, the allocation stood at only 1.69 percent. Following the prime minister's directives, we are increasing it in phases. Our target is to raise it to 3.5 percent next year, followed by four percent and eventually five percent," he said.

The minister also emphasised the importance of extracurricular activities alongside academics, saying debates, sports, and other co-curricular engagements are essential for students' overall development.

He said reforms in the education system are planned to begin in 2027, while academic curricula will be updated in 2028.

Speaking at the programme, Vice-Chancellor Rais Uddin said, Although the Dean's Award policy was formulated in 2022, it had not been implemented for a long time.

"Today, we are finally able to acknowledge our students' academic excellence through this award," he said.

The Vice-Chancellor also highlighted several challenges facing the university, including a shortage of student housing, delays in the second campus project, budget constraints, and inadequate healthcare facilities. He called for greater government support to address these issues and accelerate the university's overall development.