OSUN Science Shop at BracU begins
Brac University kicked off the OSUN Science workshop on campus after signing an agreement with the Open Society University Network (OSUN) and Central European University (CEU). It is a two-year pilot programme that focuses on bridging practical and theoretical learning. The first segment of the programme was carried out in March. The programme will enable students to connect with different communities, NGOs, and faculties to incorporate better research projects and course content.
For the first workshop, CEU staff, Andras Martony and Flora Laszlo visited the BracU campus while the programme manager, Meem Arafat Manab (Lecturer, School of Data and Sciences), and the programme coordinator, Turzo Nicholas Mondal (Lecturer, School of General Education), discussed the tonnes of possibilities of the programme that will be incorporated in the curriculum.
Unlike what the name suggests, Turzo Nicholas Mondal (Lecturer, School of General Education) comments that the Science Shop is not only limited to STEM but also connects to courses that incorporate the prospects of community engagement. When asked about the aim of the programme, he said, “The students will be able to create an organic human connection, better research development and the programme will also provide an archive of resources.”
A few of the challenges addressed by the programme coordinator include convincing the stakeholders to connect through the community. He added, “So far, the student response to such fieldwork and improvised learning experiences is optimistic. As for now, Brac University students can enrol in the courses under the Science Shop, which will enable them to find solutions and actively work for bettering the community.”
The OSUN Science Shop programme will highly benefit the students by helping them get past the conventional course work and gain extraordinary experience and knowledge on community development.
