BRAC University honours 17 researchers for top-ranked publications

BRAC University honoured 17 researchers on Tuesday with the "Quality Journal Publication Award 2026" for 228 Q1 journal articles published in journals ranked among the global top 2% of the Q1 category.

The university presented the recognition at an award ceremony at its Merul Badda campus in Dhaka, according to a press release.

The university has presented the awards for three consecutive years. Recognised articles rose 57% from 145 last year.

Of this year's publications, 124 appeared in journals ranked within the top 10% of their subject categories, while 104 were published in the remaining 15% of Q1 journals.

The research covered contemporary issues, ranging from higher interest rates charged by microfinance institutions compared with banks to production-delivery supply chain models involving multiple manufacturers and retailers.

BRAC University Central Research and Innovation Office Director Professor Malay Kanti Mridha said the university accounted for around 4.1% of the 21,919 publications produced in Bangladesh in 2025.

School of General Education Dean Professor Samia Huq said research on the ready-made garment sector had helped determine wage-review periods and provide a clear definition of middle management.

Department of Computer Science and Engineering Chairperson Associate Professor Sadia Hamid Kazi said the university was strengthening industrial and national capacity through initiatives including a video-processing research project funded by Samsung R&D Institute Bangladesh.

She also highlighted eight advanced integrated circuit courses offered under the Annual Development Programme-supported Skills for Industry Competitiveness and Innovation programme.

BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health Dean Dr Laura J Reichenbach said the Directorate General of Health Services was using the school's research findings to monitor non-communicable diseases and that its research also contributed to the introduction of national model pharmacies.

University Grants Commission of Bangladesh Member Professor Masuma Habib, who attended as a special guest, said research and teaching should proceed simultaneously and students should be engaged in creating knowledge.

Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Abdul Khaleque attended as chief guest and said BRAC University's research trends indicated that it could become a leading educational institution in the future.

"We are used to drawing knowledge from outside, but we have our own BRAC, a huge repository of knowledge," BRAC University Vice-Chancellor Professor Syed Ferhat Anwar said.

He added that developing research synergy was essential to disseminating this knowledge globally.

Registrar Dr David Dowland delivered the welcome address, while Research Metrics Committee Chairperson Professor AKM Abdul Malek Azad gave the closing remarks.

The committee organised the event as part of the university's ongoing 25th anniversary celebrations, under the theme "Promoting Research Excellence".

BRAC Institute of Languages Adviser Lady Syeda Sarwat Abed, University of Dhaka Professor Emeritus AFM Yusuf Haider and senior academic and administrative officials of BRAC University also attended the event.