Dhaka University has 56 research centres. Then why does it struggle to produce world-class research?

Microchips are often described as the new oil, an industry set to define the 21st century. 

The global semiconductor market is expected to hit a trillion dollars by 2030. Recently, the Bangladesh Semiconductor Industry Association laid out a roadmap to export $1 billion worth of chips and devices by 2030. But to achieve that goal, Bangladesh will need 10,000 engineers skilled in semiconductor design.

"Professor Sultan Ahmed of the Dhaka University Physics Department saw this coming 30 years ago," said Professor Kamrul Hassan Mamun. 

"He recognised the immense global potential of semiconductors and established the Semiconductor Research Centre. Who could have imagined setting up such a centre back in 1985, when the very word was barely known? Sultan Ahmed was a visionary and a committed researcher."

If the centre had received proper support — equipment, funding, post-doc and PhD fellows, and a full-time director — it might have produced thousands of trained engineers over the last four decades. 

And that seems to be the case for most of the research centres at Dhaka University. 

From Arbory Culture to Climate Change, from Strategic HRM to Ocean Governance, from Neuroscience to Renewable Energy, today, the university hosts 56 such centres, but very few are active. 

Many exist only on paper, some share directors' offices as their "address", and most struggle for funds, equipment and manpower. 

By comparison, many world-renowned universities have far fewer centres, yet operate them effectively.

Bose Centre: A name without work

Professor Mamun recently stepped down as director of the Bose Centre. For most dedicated researchers, the post is a coveted one, but he resigned after finding no intellectual challenge. 

In his own words, "The Bose Centre is 51 years old. What is its output? First, let's see what it has: a one-room office in the Science Workshop with two staff members and one director. The director's main task is to hand out fellowship cheques and sign stacks of paperwork. It has no in-house post-docs, no PhD fellows, and no researchers of its own. 

"Fellowship holders do their research in their departments, not here. Essentially, the centre does nothing beyond distributing money — a job the Registrar's Office could handle. What is the point of a centre carrying the name of a scientist like Satyendra Nath Bose if this is all it does?" he added.

When he first took charge, Professor Mamun had dreamt of revitalising the nearly defunct centre. After all, in 1924, Satyendra Nath Bose, then a teacher at Dhaka University, stunned Einstein with his discovery of Quantum Statistics — a theory that laid the foundation for the Bose-Einstein framework and opened vast new horizons for science.

Mamun looked to Kolkata's SN Bose Centre for Basic Sciences, where researchers work around the clock thanks to proper facilities. He submitted a detailed reform plan to the DU authorities. But much of it was misunderstood, ignored or dismissed. 

Politics and factionalism, he said, always take precedence over academic concerns. A dilapidated one-room centre would never be enough; an entire building would be needed for meaningful results. Frustrated, he resigned.

Many centres lack even a room

Out of DU's 56 centres, fewer than 10 are active. Yet every centre receives funding. The proliferation of centres is driven less by academic needs than by personal gain and vote-based politics. 

Faculties are required to publish journals, but producing one or two issues a year only demands a minimal number of papers, regardless of their quality. Deans and centre directors often exploit this loophole to help loyal junior faculty get promotions.

"At Oxford or Cambridge, research centres operate independently, free from university interference," said Professor Mamun. "Here, centres are often created to appease people. Using a research centre for such purposes should be considered an offence. Research is the backbone of national development — it requires a full ecosystem: facilities, networks, and intellectual exchange. 

"Instead, 17,000 of our brightest teachers and students left the country last year because that ecosystem doesn't exist here. Most centres have no equipment, some don't even have rooms, and the budgets are laughable. What can you expect from a project with only Tk1 lakh in funding?" he further said.

Chromosome Centre and a lesson from Pakistan

The Chromosome Centre, established in 2014 through the efforts of Professor Sheikh Shamim Ul Alam, has no separate premises — the director's office doubles as its address. 

This year, it received Tk12 lakh, of which Tk8 lakh goes to research after salaries and other costs. Typically, four junior faculty members each receive Tk2 lakh for projects reviewed by multiple reviewers.

Work began with chromosome size and number variations but has since expanded into DNA, protein research, genome sequencing, and gene transfer. 

Current Director Dr Mohammad Nurul Islam, who did post-doctoral research in Sweden, contrasted Bangladesh's situation with Pakistan's, "When I worked in Sweden, I had several Pakistani colleagues. Under Musharraf, anyone studying abroad on government support had to return and serve in designated institutions, with full facilities provided. 

"Those who didn't return had to repay five times the investment. Those failing to conduct research had pay deductions. Here, the opposite happens — it's as if we want to drive our talent away," he added.

Despite better funding than in the past, Dr Islam noted that delays in receiving funds cut into the time for research, harming quality. Biotechnology research, he said, "is like maintaining an elephant" — enzymes must be imported at high cost, with customs duty piled on. Yet, he believes the Chromosome Centre is more active than most DU centres.

Asked how it compares globally, he admitted, "There is no basis for comparison. I cannot give it a number."

Bloated structure, too little money

DU's 2025–26 budget is Tk1,035 crore. Of this, research centres receive Tk21.57 crore — just 2.08% of the total. 

Both Mamun and Islam believe the allocation is far too small. Closing or merging inactive centres could improve matters. For instance, Chromosome and Biotechnology Centres overlap heavily and could be combined.

Professor Jasim Uddin, director of the Advanced Studies in Humanities Research Centre, agreed, "We don't need so many centres. Most are inactive. Even one per faculty would be better. As it stands, resources are spread too thin. Concentrating funds would allow for equipment, researchers, and international collaboration."

The semiconductor dream is still alive

The Semiconductor Research Centre is a prime example of a lost opportunity. 

Professor Sultan Ahmed foresaw that chips would shape the future. Today, semiconductors power everything from solar panels to smartphones and medical devices. Taiwan became a global hub by investing early; the US now even defends it militarily.

Young DU researchers at the centre study nanoparticle structures but often have to rely on BCSIR or BUET for advanced work. Demand is so high that researchers must book slots a month in advance.

Director Dr Mujib Lenin Palash clarified, "This is a place for fundamental research. We work at the nano level. Chips are final products which involve multiple steps. Our job is to build academic foundations; industry takes it further."

Despite limitations, the centre's research has appeared in top-ranked journals, proving the calibre of its students. Yet 15 out of every 70 graduates leave the country due to the poor research environment. 

By contrast, India's ecosystem is strong enough to attract researchers back home.

Mamun pointed out how, during Biden's 2023 Vietnam visit, US tech delegations explored chip investments there, knowing Taiwan's future is uncertain. "This is not like garments, where we depend on others. In semiconductors, the world depends on those who can produce."

Palash added a note of optimism, "Bangladesh has already begun small-scale chip design. Some US companies are outsourcing design work here. Our young engineers are involved. To reach industrial scale, we must systematically develop a skilled workforce and take bold steps."

What makes a research centre effective?

Beyond funding, effectiveness requires leadership, infrastructure, and workforce. 

Professor ABM Shahidul Islam, director of the Bureau of Business Research, stressed the need for full-time, dedicated directors. "They cannot be burdened with other duties," he said.

Despite challenges, the bureau has produced studies on advertising agencies, industrial safety, tourism impacts, and influencer marketing. It is now preparing research for international GI (Geographical Indication) recognition of products like Muslin, requiring rigorous historical and environmental proof. 

"We are also training researchers in advanced data tools like Stata and Smart PLS," Shahidul Islam noted.

Dr KM Azam Chowdhury, director of the International Centre for Ocean Governance, described their progress. 

"Twenty years ago, no one cared about the sea. By 2012, the Blue Economy gained traction. Our centre is now among DU's most active. Even without university funding, we attract international support," he said.  

They work with China's First Institute of Oceanography and host visiting experts from Italy and France. Research topics include ocean acidification and early disaster warnings. With an annual budget of Tk600,000, they still manage to fund both students and young faculty.

Chowdhury believes a clear university-wide policy is essential, "Only then will research centres deliver true value."

Asked what the country gains from research, Professor Mamun concluded, "Not only the country, but the entire world benefits. The Bose-Einstein Theory still helps us understand matter and light, and it will continue to do so for centuries. Research results are handed down from generation to generation, opening new doors. Developed countries thrive because they understand this. We lag behind because we don't."

This article was originally written and published in Bangla, and has been translated by Anonno Afroz