NEWS & EVENTS

JUAAB EX-PRESIDENT IN OMAN AS VISITING SCIENTIST

Prof. Ishtiaq Mahmud, Ex-President of JUAAB has left Bangladesh for Oman as a visiting scientist at the end of August 2001. The members of the Japanese Universities Alumni Association in Bangladesh elected Prof. Mahmud president of JUAAB in September 2000 for a period of two years. He first went to Japan in 1974 as a fellow of UNESCO to take a course in microbiology and studied in Osaka and Tokyo Universities. He obtained Ph. D degree from the School of Medicine of Chiba University in Biochemistry in 1981.

Dr. Mahmud did his post-doctoral research work in USA and Germany. Professor Mahmud has been serving in the Department of Biochemistry, University of Dhaka since 1987 and in 1994 in recognition of his scientific achievements Dr. Mahmud was promoted to Professor in Biochemistry. He was visiting Scientist in Tokushima University once in 1990 and again in 1996.

He has forty publications in national and international journals to his own credit.

*News compiled by Dr. Kabir Ahmed, EC Member, JUAAB

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GENERAL SECRETARY OF JUAAB HONORED IN BRUSSELS

The Eminent laparoscopic surgeon of the country Dr. Sarder A. Nayeem has received an award from the International Society of Surgery Foundation. The Treasure of JUAAB Dr. Nayeem has been honored by this award in recognition of his outstanding contribution in the field of surgery in a developing country.

He received the award in the 39th World Congress of Surgery Organized by the Society held in Brussels, Belgium on August 28, 2001. A memorable awarding ceremony was held in the general assembly of the congress. It might be mentioned that Dr. Nayeem pioneered laparoscopic surgery in Bangladesh.

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In 1991, for the first time in Bangladesh he successfully performed laparoscopic cholecystectomy, a gallbladder operation with the help of a laparoscopic camera without opening the abdomen, in collaboration with the Japanese expert in the field Dr. Daijo Hashimoto. Till date Dr. Nayeem has successfully performed more than 7000 cases of the gall bladder, appendix and other operations by laparoscope. He has made a remarkable contribution in developing and popularizing the laparoscopic procedures in the country. He as also trained a considerable number of surgeons in this field in Bangladesh.

Dr. Nayeem is working in BIRDEM Hospital as a consultant in surgery and Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital as the consultant surgeon and Managing Director.

*News compiled by Dr. Kabir Ahmed, EC Member, JUAAB

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SOUTHEAST ASIAN REGIONAL NETWORK OF ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS FORMED IN TOKYO

A regional network of alumni associations has been formed in Tokyo at the First Reunion of Former Students in Japan form the Southwest Asian Countries. The Reunion, the first of its kind, was organized by the Cultural Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Japan, from January 28, 2002 to February 3, 2002, in Tokyo. A total of 13 delegates were invited from 5 Southeast asian countries, namely Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. From Bangladesh a three membered team headed by DR. Sarder A. Nayeem, the Treasurer of JUAAB joined the meeting. The other two members were Dr. Mehdi Ahmed Ansary, an Associate Professor from the Department of Civil Engineering and Technology of BUET, Dhaka and Dr. Apala Farhat Naved, an Associate Professor from the Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of University of Dhaka.

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The reunion was started with a general orientation on the 29th January, in the morning followed by lecture sessions by Mr. Hideki Esho, a professor of Hosei University and Mr. Chihiro Atsumi, Deputy Director General, Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of MOFA, in the afternoon.

On the same evening a fabulous reception took place hosted by Mr. Seiken Sugiura, Vice-Minister of MOFA in Tokyo Prince Hotel. It was a very prestigious gathering attended by the diplomats from all the related countries as well as the supervising professors of the former students.

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On the 30th, presentations by the leaders of the respective country teams delivered and a unique discussion took place where everybody exchanged their views and ideas for future programs to be carried out by their associations to strengthen the cultural and educational ties between Japan and the respective countries. The programs also comprised of excellent tours and educational visits to the National Musium of Emerging Science and Innovation, Fujitsu Dome Theatre and Sharp High Technology Hall. All the delegates enjoyed the trips as well as delicious Japanese food in different famous restaurants.

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All the delegates had emphasized at the reunion in Tokyo that they should set up a network among their associations and maintain a constant dialog and interaction of the activities which will be carried out in the near future.

A network was formed by appointing seven contact persons, five from 5 countries and two from MOFA of Japan. The contact persons are Dr. Sarder A. Nayeem from JUAAB, Bangladesh, Dr. Ashok Jain form MOSAI, India, Dr. Baniya Chhetri Gajendra Bahadur from Japan University Students Association of Nepal (JUSAN), Dr. Najam Siddiqui from MAAP, Pakistan, Mr. Munashinghe Punchi Banda of Japanese Graduates' Alumni Association of Sri Lanka (JAGAAS) and Ms Takeo Miyake & Ms. Kaho Sano from MOFA, Japan. The network can explore the possibilities of joint activities, for example, regional Japanese language speech contest, children's painting contest, exhibitions and extending the programs of cultural teams from Japan different countries in the region. Such activities could be organized through the Network. Vow was taken to keep up the regional ties of the alumni associations and finding some active ways for making these ties stronger.

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It was a fantastic and splendid meeting of the former students who studied in Japan in different periods starting from 1963 to 1996 in different parts of Japan. All of them enjoyed the fabulous gathering of Japan-educated persons from the very similar Southwest Asian cultural background. A unique tie was created between all of them one again, in a new fashion through Japan, the country they fell in love with from the very day they arrived there for making their career in assorted fields. Very special thanks to MOFA, Japan for creating this excellent opportunity for the former students of this region and for their unforgettable hospitality. At the end, it is important to know that MOFA has decided to continue this program of reunion of the former students in Japan from the Southwest Asian countries every year. Selection of the delegate members will largely depend on the activities and contribution of the individual in their respective alumni associations.

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JUAAB WAS ENTRUSTED BY JICE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF APPLICATION FORMS FOR JICE SCHOLARSHIPS

JUAAB was entrusted by Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) for the distribution of application forms for JICE scholarships for post graduate level studies in the fields of Law, Public Administration, Economics, International Relations and Information Communication Technology in different universities in Japan. 200 application forms along with other relevant documents were given out by JUAAB to interested candidates.

The decision to involve JUAAB in the application form disbursement process followed a meeting between JICE and JUAAB at the JUAAB office. JICE was represented by Mr. Noriyuki Nakano and Ms. Kazumi Sato from the International Students Affairs Division, International Exchanges Department of JICE and Mr. Shinji Totsuka, Deputy Director, Training and Youth Invitation Division, Domestic Partnership and Training Department of Japan Inter-national Cooperation agency (JICA). Prof. Ishtiaq Mahmud, President, and Dr. K.M. Maniruzzaman, General Secretary, represented JUAAB at the meeting.

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After months of hectic paper work, representation and deliberations, JUAAB has finally obtained registration from the social welfare Department. The registration number of JUAAB is Dha-0592. Obtaining the registration was no mean task. Most of the credit for accomplishing this feat goes to Mr. Shafiqur Rahman, Member of JUAAB Executive Committee.

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JAPANESE GRANT FOR JUAAB

The Government of Japan has sanctioned a grant worth US $ 13,045 to JUAAB under its project for cultural activities at the grassroots level on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Bangladesh. A contract was signed on 13 March, 2002, to this effect by the Ambassador of Japan in Bangladesh and Patron of JUAAB, H. E. Mr. Jiro Kobayashi, and the General Secretary of JUAAB, Dr. K. M. Maniruzzaman. President at the signing ceremony were Mr. Y. Tanaka, Director, Press and Cultural Affairs of the Embassy of Japan, Dr. Sarder A. Nayeem, Treasurer of JUAAB, and Mr. Shafiqur Rahman, Executive Committee Member of JUAAB.

The grant will be utilized audio-visual equipment at the JUAAB office to enable members of the Association to practice Japanese language skill acquired during their stay in Japan. According to the project proposal, three computers, one multimedia projector, one VCR, one television and one satellite TV tuner would procured for JUAAB.

With this array of equipment, members and their families would be able to watch Japanese movies, access Japanese web sites and watch Japanese television (NHK) programs. If everything goes on as scheduled, the equipment would be commissioned by April 2002.

News compiled by Dr. K. M. Maniruzzaman, General Secretary, JUAAB

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FASID DELIGATION CALLS ON JUAAB

A two-member delegation from the Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development (FASID) visited JUAAB office and exchanged views with JUAAB officials on March 14, 2002. The FASID team comprised of Mr. Naonobu Minato, Vice Director, International Development Research Institute (IDRI) and visiting Professor, Graduate School of International Relations, International University of Japan, and Mr. Koichiro Ishimori, Program Officer, IDRI. The FASID mission was in Bangladesh to evaluate the Japan International Cooperation Centre (JICE) scholarship program for master's level study in five discipline in Japanese universities.

JUAAB appreciated the launching of the program in Bangladesh and hoped that it will be effective in helping Bangladesh progress towards development. JUAAB was represented in the meeting by Dr. K. M. Maniruzzaman, General Secretary, Dr. Sarder A. Nayeem, Treasure, and Mr. Shafiqur Rahman, Executive Committee Member.

News compiled by Dr. K. M. Maniruzzaman, General Secretary, JUAAB

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SEMINAR ON SPECIALIZED SURGERY

A seminar on some aspects of Specialized Surgery in Bangladesh was held on July 6, 2001, at the BETS Centre Auditorium, Dhanmondi, Dhaka. The seminar was organized by JUAAB and the keynote speakers were Dr. Sarder A. Nayeem and Dr. Motiur Rahman Molla. Prof. Ishtiaq Mahmud, President of JUAAB, was in the chair.

Dr. Nayeem, who is the Consultant Surgeon and MD of Japan-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital and Treasure of JUAAB, dwelt on the state of laparoscopic surgery in Bangladesh. As a pioneer in the stated field in the country, Dr. Nayeem shared his in-depth knowledge of both the technical aspects of laparoscopic surgery and its history in Bangladesh. His lucid explanation in layman's terms evinced keen interest among the assorted audience.

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Dr. Molla, Associate Prof. of Shahid Suhrawardy Hospital, Dhaka and Research and Publication Secretary of JUAAB, is also a pioneer in his own field, namely Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, in Bangladesh.

His presentation on the field of his expertise contained numerous slides depicting the conditions of his patients both before and after surgery. Equipped with such powerful visual aids. Dr. Molla easily convinced his captive audience about the effectiveness of maxillofacial surgery in providing respite to patients suffering for defects or damage in the jaws or mouth region form birth, from disease or from accidents.

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JAPANESE LANGUAGE TEST HELD

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test was held at the premises of the Institute of Modern Languages, University of Dhaka, on December 2, 2001. The test is held worldwide on the same day under the auspices of The Japan Foundation. This was the first time that the test was held in Bangladesh. Previously, Bangladeshi nationals had to travel to India to sit for the test. The test in Dhaka was administered by JUAAB in association with the Embassy of Japan in Dhaka.

The test is held in four levels and a total of 73 students from three language schools in Dhaka and one in Chittagong registered for the test. With successful administration of the test by JUAAB and the Embassy of Japan, it is expected that the Japanese language Proficiency will from now on be a regular annual affair in Dhaka. For details, please contact JUAAB office.

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TAGORE SONGS SOIREE HELD

An evening of songs composed by Rabindranath Tagore was organized by JUAAB on August 18, 2001, at the BETS Center Auditorium, Dhanmondi, Dhaka. The songs were rendered by Dr. Apala Farhat Noved and Ms. Laisa Ahmed Liva. Dr. Noved is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Dept., University of Dhaka and a founder member of JUAAB.

Both singers enthralled the audience with their masterly performance. Mr. Shafqat Chowdhury from the North South University provided a brief introduction in English to each song for the convenience of the Japanese guests among the audience.

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JUAAB Office Address:

Japanese Universities Alumni Association in Bangladesh (JUAAB)
Rowshan Tower (6th Floor), 152/2/A2 Green Road,
Panthapath, Dhaka-1205, Bangladesh
Tel: +880-2-9142792