- General Information of Brac University
Brac University (BracU) established in 2001 is located in Dhaka Bangladesh. BracU follows a liberal arts approach to education which nurtures fresh ideas and gives new impetus to the field of tertiary education. It ensures a high quality of education and aims to meet the demands of contemporary times. Building on BRAC’s experience of seeking solutions to challenges posed by extreme poverty, BracU hopes to instill in its students a commitment to working towards national development and progress. The medium of instruction and examination at Brac University is English. BracU is accredited by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and approved by the Ministry of Education, Government of Bangladesh.
MISSION
- Fostering Knowledge Creation
- Upholding Human Values
- Promoting Sustainable Development
VISION BracU 2.0
- Proud, global institution from Bangladesh
- Bangladesh’s flagship university
Message from the Founder and Chairperson Emeritus
“Since its inception in 2001, Brac University has become one of the most reputed educational institutions in Bangladesh. We have focused on generating new knowledge and promoting critical thinking amongst our students, graduating more than 7,000 young men and women during this time. At present, the total number of students is around 8,000.
Our goal at Brac University is not only to provide the highest quality teaching in the region, but also to inculcate the values essential for tomorrow’s leaders. Through a liberal education, we endeavour to produce graduates with the attributes needed to achieve personal success and make a valuable contribution to society. Our talented and dedicated faculty play a critical role in both these processes”.
Message of Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, KCMGChairperson Emeritus, Board of Trustees ,Brac University
- Introduction of Schools and Institues of Brac University
At present, BracU has 4 schools and 3 institutes.
BracU also has seven departments offering different program disciplines.
Currently BracU has thirty two academic programs, of those, sixteen are undergraduate programs and the rest are postgraduate programs. BracU has a trimester system except for the Pharmacy Department, which runs on a semester system.
- The schools at Brac University
The Brac Business School (BBS) offers an undergraduate program (BBA, Bachelor of Business Administration) and three graduate programs (MBA, Masters of Business Administration; EMBA, Executive Masters in Business Administration; and MBM, Masters of Bank Management).
The areas of specialization of the school are:
- Accounting
- Finance
- Banking and Insurance
- Human Resource Management
- Marketing
- Computer Information Management
- E-Business
- Entrepreneurship, and
- Operations Management
1.2 School of Engineering and Computer Science
the school offers an undergraduate program (BBA, Bachelor of Business Administration) and two graduate programs (MBA, Masters of Business Administration and EMBA, Executive Masters in Business Administration). The areas of specialization of the school are Accounting, Finance, Banking and Insurance, Human Resource Management, Marketing, Computer Information Management, E-Business, Entrepreneurship, and Operations Management.
The School of Engineering and Computer Science (SECS), the largest and fastest growing school, has been the core of BracU since its inception in 2001. The growth of SECS parallels with BracU’s rise to the top. The School of Engineering and Computer Science intends to be the globally-recognized eminent engineering and computing school through excellence in teaching, research, innovation and technological entrepreneurship. It is our mission to produce technically competent, socially responsible, best quality engineering and computing graduates with effective communication skills, highest ethical standards and human values.
The School of Law at Brac University is a gateway through which students are prepared for careers in law, in administrative services, the judiciary and in the development sector. The four-year undergraduate programme at the School of Law culminates into a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree for successful students. Although the primary emphasis of the programme is on law and the legal profession, given that law is intertwined with economics, development, business and sociology, it also prepares students who are inclined to seek professions in other disciplines.
1.4 James P Grant School of Public Health
The James P Grant School of Public Health (JPGSPH) at Brac University was established in 2004 as an international educational and research institution focusing on the integral areas of teaching, research, and services. The goal of the School is not only to impart knowledge but also to act as a centre of excellence in knowledge creation through research and training that connect with practice.
The School’s guiding vision – “knowledge and know-how for health equity” – draws on the inspirational leadership of James P. Grant, former executive director of UNICEF, after whom the School is named. The three primary areas of activity in the School are related to education, research and advocacy.
Aside from the flagship educational programmes, i.e. Master of Public Health (MPH), JPGSPH also provides public health short courses for health professionals through the Continuing Education Programme (CEP). Additionally, JPGSPH possesses a burgeoning research portfolio conducting innovative and pioneering studies on public health issues funded by multiple international donors. JPGSPH also offers services in the form of training, advocacy workshops, and seminars with a special focus on the rights of the marginalized and vulnerable population of Bangladesh.
School of Architecture and Design(SoAD)
The School of Architecture and Design(SoAD) is Brac University’s new venture. This follows from the tradition set by the Department of Architecture, which has established a name for itself in high quality design education. The School will be comprehensive in its scope to include design disciplines that has relevance to the local context as well as international trends.
- The institutes at Brac University
2.1 Brac Institute of Languages
Brac Institute of Languages (BIL) of BRAC University is working with the goal to assist students in developing the language skills they need to become successful in graduate schools and in their professional lives. BIL focuses on implementing student-centered and creative language teaching techniques by developing modules based on students’ proficiency level. This not only helps avoid having mixed ability classes, but also ensures small classes with excellent interaction between teachers and learners.
BIL offers well-designed, comprehensive courses ranging from the pre-intermediate to the upper-intermediate level in order to facilitate the English language requirements of the university students. Besides English, BIL currently offers the modern languages Bangla, German, Chinese, French, Arabic and Spanish to both its students and other professionals.
Additionally, BIL offers Pre-University, which is a unique course designed for those students who proved themselves competent in their respective disciplines during the admission test except in English. Besides, MA in TESOL, the flagship programme of BIL, is creating efficient English language teachers and leaders from around the country with its well organized curriculum, and innovative and practice-oriented teaching approach.
2.2 Brac Institute of Educational Development
Since its inception it has been contributing to the overall improvement of the national education system in Bangladesh. Brac Institute of Educational Development (BRAC IED) runs two academic programmes, the Masters of Education (MEd)/ Post-Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Educational Leadership, Planning, and Management as well as the Masters in Science (MSc)/PGD in Early Childhood Development. BRAC IED also runs short courses for government officials who share our vision of bringing positive change to classroom teaching, learning, and management.
2.3Brac Institute of Governance and Development
Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) is a resource center that promotes research and develops knowledge on practical solutions to issues of poverty, inequity and social injustice. At the core of BIGD’s work are several academic courses, which include both classroom teaching and fieldwork experience:
- Masters in Development Studies (MDS)
- MA in Governance and Development (MAGD)
- Masters in Procurement and Supply Management (MPSM)
- Masters in Development Management and Practice (MDMP)
- Postgraduate Certificate Course on Management of Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation (MLARR)
- Microfinance: An Introductory Course
- Applied Social and Marketing Communication: A Short Course
About the teaching at Brac University
Each department, school and institute has its own academic community, dedicated to advancing knowledge in particular subject areas. They often work together on teaching joint or general education courses as well as interdisciplinary research projects. Basically the student is at the centre of the education provided by Brac University. Teachers are usually ready to provide support in terms of pedagogy and make themselves available to help the students in their creative thinking and to innovate.
Teaching style and learning formats at Brac University
By utilizing high quality, focused, and shorter than taught courses that many other universities teach, a BracU graduate course facilitates students’ swift career progression. This is achieved in part through the close working relationships between supervisors and students utilizing teaching methodologies of small group teaching.
Teaching styles, formats and frequency of contact with faculty varies from course to course. All advanced courses require the student to take on a significant amount of case based study and this will normally be alongside a framework of seminars, workshops and lectures where students analyse and present to given problems and assignments.
Professional Development Centre
The Professional Development Centre (PDC) is an innovation of Brac University dedicated to promoting excellence in education through shared understanding and best practice. The centre was previously known as the Teaching & Learning Centre, opened in 2006. The PDC strives to build a creative environment of pedagogical development and research that fosters innovation across the University in collaboration with faculty and administrative staff. The focus of the centre is to keep the campus community updated with pedagogical developments, coordinate academic resources, support professional development and contribute to successful student learning. From group events to personalized attention, the PDC supports measurable effectiveness in faculty development, course instruction and assessment, scholarly research, and innovation in education technologies. Our expanding activities and services include orientations, workshops and seminars, individual consultations, pedagogical research, teaching courses and programme design.
About the research
According to QS Asian University rankings, Brac University is the top ranked private university in Bangladesh.
Academic staff and graduate students at Brac University are central to the University’s research efforts, which span all areas of the globe and tackle issues of international significance. Research at the university has made an enormous impact on our fundamental understanding of the world and significant contribution to society’s needs, and our graduate students join our academic staff in tackling some of the major challenges facing the world today.
Students on research degrees work closely with an academic supervisor focusing on a specific research project to produce a thesis that represents a significant and substantial piece of work. Students are assessed on the basis of this thesis and a viva voce (an oral examination).
Research environment
Year on year, BracU’s total research expenditure is considerably higher than any other university in Bangladesh, hence a large number of research work in different disciplines are carried out.
The University provides a supportive environment in which researchers at every stage of their career can flourish. The University is dedicated to fostering research collaborations across the world with research institutions, research agencies, funding bodies, industrial and commercial partners, sponsors and benefactors.
The research environment shall get a further boost when there will be close collaboration between the industry and academics. Already an MoU has been signed between the Computer Science and Engineering Department and Grameen Phone where such industry-academic collaboration will flourish.
Both in the Undergraduate and Master program, the university promotes students to carry out research. In the field of research, Brac University promotes both innovation and entrepreneurship.
