Restricted UNDP/BGD/87/015 Terminal Report BANGLADESH

Training of Technologists at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok

Project Findings and Recommendations

Serial N o . FMR/SC/OPS/92/202(UNDP)

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

United Nations Development Programme

Paris, 1992

B A N G L A D E S H

TRAINING OF TECHNOLOGISTS AT THE BANGLADESH UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (BUET), DHAKA AND THE ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (AIT), BANGKOK

Project Findings and Recommendations

Report prepared for the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) acting as Executing Agency for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

United Nations Educational, United Nations Scientific and Cultural Development Organization Programme

UNDP/BGD/87/015 Terminal Report FMR/SC/OPS/92/202 (UNDP ) 28 February 1992

© UNESCO 1992 Printed in France

TABLE OF CONTENTS

page

Summary i

I. INTRODUCTION 1

II. PROJECT COMPONENTS 1

III. OBJECTIVES 2

IV. OUTPUTS PRODUCED AND PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED 3

V. OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED 3

VI. FINDINGS AND LESSONS LEARNT 4

VII. RECOMMENDATIONS 4

APPENDICES

1: Technical Co-operation Personnel 2 : List of Trainees under AIT-BUET PG Programme 3 : List of Faculty Members 4: List of Major Items of Equipment Supplied to the Project

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SUMMARY

(a) Government Input: Tk 7,214 million (in kind)

(b) UNDP Input: US$ 0.779 million (original) US$ 0.714,889 million (revised)

OBJECTIVES

(a) Upgrading the skills of engineers, architects and technologists in the major fields of Water Resources Engineering (WRE), Civil Engineering (CE), Industrial and Production Engineering (IPE), Urban and Regional Planning (URP), Computer Science and Engineering (Compt. Sc. & E) and Energy Technology (ET) through a co-operative programme of continuing education between BUET and AIT.

(b) Strengthening the local institutional capability of BUET to administer the above continuing courses independently in future, through the following measures:

(i) Faculty development through AIT-BUET linkages

(ii) Provision of instructional aids for laboratories, workshops and library facilities

The immediate objectives have been achieved.

OUTPUT SOUGHT AND PRODUCED

Although 71 engineers and technologists were to have been selected for training, 67 students were enrolled and 59 are trained.

Twelve faculty members of BUET were trained at AIT although provision was for ten staff members. There are six disciplines and each year six faculty members were trained.

Most of the equipment, books and journals for various departments, laboratories, library and computer centre have been received. A few are in the process of receiving.

Due to unavoidable circumstances the tracer study for the first year students could not be carried out although formalities for awarding of contract have been completed.

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

(a) For the smooth running of the academic programme, Government of Bangladesh (GOB) and employers of the trainees must have a

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clear-cut policy regarding the release of the trainees to the programme for the intended period.

(b) The amount for fellowships for trainees at BUET is inadequate compared to living expenses at Dhaka. This should be increased to the rate at AIT, Bangkok.

LESSON LEARNT

Where two institutes are involved in a joint collaborative technical programme, the political climate or stability should be similar. It becomes very difficult to maintain the timetable of the academic programme, particularly where there is synchronization of the academic semester.

Moreover, the teacher-student ratio of the institutes should also be very near.

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BGD/87/015 - Training of Technologists at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok.

Terminal Report

I. INTRODUCTION

1. Initially the project had been signed for two years, but it was then extended for a further three years after evaluation at the end of two years.

2. The project starting date, according to the Project Documentation, was September 1987. The actual (initial mobilization) date was April 1988. The starting of the Academic Programme was September 1988.

3. The project completion date was August 1989 according to the Project Document and was operationally completed January 1991.

II. PROJECT COMPONENTS

4. Seventy-one engineers and technologists were to be trained during the initial phase of two years and a total of 190 persons in five years if the evaluation of the initial phase of two year duration financed under the project justified its extension.

5. The training leading to Post-Graduate (PG) Diploma consists of three terms in each year, each term contains 12-14 weeks. The three-term programme is offered in six disciplines. These are:

i. Civil Engineering ii. Computer Science and Engineering iii. Energy Technology iv. Industrial and Production Engineering v. Urban and Regional Planning vi. Water Resources Engineering

6. The three term programme has been offered with the First Term at BUET, Dhaka, the Second Term at AIT, Bangkok and the Third Term at BUET.

7. The other project components are:

. Training of ten faculty members of BUET.

. Improved laboratory, workshop, computer and library facilities at BUET through provision of equipment, books and journals.

. Conducting of two Tracer Studies on graduates of BGD/73/070 and BGD/87/015 (first year).

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•Holding seminars/workshops on the research work of the students at BUET with the AIT-BUET faculty serving as resource persons.

III. OBJECTIVES

Development Objectives

8. The development objectives of the project were to strengthen the capabilities of BUET to provide in-service training to engineers, architects and technologists.

Immediate Objectives

9. The project's immediate objectives were to upgrade the skills of engineers, architects and technologists in the major fields of Water Resources Engineering, Civil Engineering, Industrial and Production Engineering, Human Settlement Development, Urban and Regional Planning and Computer Engineering by a co-operation programme of continuing education between BUET and AIT.

Background

10. This project originated from the recommendations of an evaluation of a previous project BGD/73/070 'Training of Technologists', that was carried out from 1976 to 1981. Under the previous project 85 engineers and technologists, employed in various government ministries, were trained in Hydraulics and Water Resources Engineering (59), Civil Engineering (17) and Human Settlement Development (9) , at the Diploma level (59), Masters (17) and Certificate (9) levels respectively.

11. In 1981, an evaluation of the project was carried out by a UNDP consultant, who recommended its extension into a second phase over a period of five years, for training an additional number of 120 to 150 technologists for the post-graduate diploma course. UNDP Headquarters also supported the proposal and recommended that the second phase should focus on establishing linkages between AIT and BUET so as to strengthen the latter's capacity to conduct such courses on its own.

12. UNDP indicated that BUET had the required capacity for undertaking undergraduate programmes in the various engineering fields, but these programmes needed to be exposed to the present state of the art in various disciplines in terms of modern research methodologies and their application in the graduate teaching institution at AIT. This would increase BUET's effectiveness in training the graduate students at the more specialized graduate level through the proposed project.

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IV. OUTPUTS PRODUCED AND PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED

13. During the first year (1988-89) 31 students in six different disciplines were enrolled for the academic programme as per the terms of reference of the Project Document. In the first term one trainee from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning could not continue due to serious illness while another student from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering was dropped as he could not obtain the minimum qualifying grade. Out of the remaining 29 students, 25 persons completed their programme successfully. Two trainees were in the final stage of completing their thesis works. One student has gone to AIT under the Master Programme without completing the programme while one trainee left the country for a better job without completing the programme.

14. During the second year (1989-90) 37 students were selected although the provision was for 40 students. Three students in the area of Water Resources Engineering could not be admitted because they could not qualify for the admission test. Out of 37 trainees two could not qualify because their class grades were lower. One student from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning went abroad with a scholarship while another one discontinued due to personal reasons. One student from the Department of Water Resources Engineering could not continue due to illness. Presently 3 students have completed their programme while 29 were expected to complete it by the end of January 1991.

15. It has been observed that most of the students could not complete the Third Term in a period of 4 months because this term is devoted to project and thesis work. Moreover, the trainees have to join their respective organizations after one year. They are not given leave for more than one year. They try to complete the project-thesis work slowly over a longer period of time. The University also has a rule that the Postgraduate diploma programme can be completed within a period of two years although the academic programme is designed for one year. Most of the students take advantage of this flexibility in the rule.

V. OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED

16. The objectives achieved are as follows:

i. 67 students were enrolled for the postgraduate Diploma Programme and 59 students are in the process of completing the programme.

ii. Training of 12 faculty members of BUET completed.

iii. Ten faculty members including the AIT co-ordinator visited BUET as resource persons for Seminars/Workshops and academic purposes.

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iv. Four Seminars/Workshops were held at BUET. Each seminar/workshop was held separately in each Department. Thus under the title of one seminar actually six separate seminars took place in the six departments for six variable disciplines.

v. The institution capability of BUET to administer the continuation of the education course independently in the future has been considerably enhanced through the receipt of equipment, books, journals and microcomputers.

17. Moreover, the faculty training and seminars/workshops have tremendously helped the various departments to update/improve the syllabus and curriculum development. Many laboratories are properly equipped with new machinery and equipment for classes of undergraduate and research students.

18. The findings of the tracer study clearly show that the training of the technologists for the First Phase has updated the skill and capability of the trainees and also improved the efficiency of the employer's various organizations in planning, designing and management of projects.

VI. FINDINGS AND LESSONS LEARNT

19. This project took about three years from its conception to the starting of the programme. This is mainly due to the cumbersome procedure of the various intergovernmental ministries. In future, simple and less time consuming mechanisms should be evolved by UNDP and GOB so that the project document can be prepared within a short time.

20. For the smooth running of the academic programme, GOB and employers of the trainees must have a clear-cut policy regarding the release of the trainees to the programme for the intended period. The trainees should be given one year's deputation with full salary. Otherwise the married students do not feel encouraged to come to this sort of programme due to financial constraints. As a result, good and meritorious students are lost.

21. The process of procuring equipment, books etc. is time consuming. Action should be taken tripartitely by UNESCO, UNDP and GOB.

VII. RECOMMENDATIONS

22. In a joint collaborative technical educational programme where two institutions are involved, the political climate or stability should be similar. Otherwise the maintenance of the academic timetable is difficult, particularly when there is synchronization of the academic semester. Moreover, the teacher-student ratio of the institutes should also be very near.

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23. For the smooth-running of the academic programme, the trainees' government as well as the employers should have clear rules or policy to release the trainees to the programme once they are allowed to by the selection committee. The trainees should also be released with deputation and full salary for the intended training period.

24. The amount for fellowships for the students at two institutes such as BUET and AIT should be the same because the standard of living of the two places are almost the same.

25. At the final Tripartite Review Meeting, on 17 March 1991, it was decided that a new phase of the project would be designed according to the recommendations of the External Evaluation Mission. BUET will prepare the Project Concept Paper for the new project and submit it to all concerned parties for their consideration.

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Appendix 1

TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION PERSONNEL

Post Title Name

National Co-ordinator Dr. M. Shahjahan Professor, BUET

AIT Co-ordinator Dr. Suphat Vongvisessomjai Professor, AIT

Project Assistant Md. Noor Nabiul Ahsan

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Appendix 2

List of trainees under AIT-BUET Programme

September Term, 1988-89 (First batch)

No. Name Department/Centre

Mr Hirza Mahmudul Alam IPE Mr Md. Ashraf Hommain Mr Md. Humayun Kabir Mr Md. Hamtazur Rahman Mr Md. Alamgir Shahidul Islam WRE Mr Abdullahel Baki Mr A.K. Azal Mr Md. Abul Khayar Mr Dhananjoy Achercha Mr Faruque Iftekhar Uddin Mr Mohammad Ali Mr Md. Motiur Rahman Mr Habibur Rahman CE Mr Golam Mohammad " Mr Sk. Abdul Mannan Mr A.K. Fathad Ahmad Mr Md. Nurui Islam Mr Md. Mohbubul Alam " Mr Md. Afil Uddin " Mr A.S.M. Humayun Kabir Khan Comp. Sei. & Eng. Mr Ahasnul Habib " Mr Shahjahan Sikdar " Mr S.M. Iqbal " Ms Murunnahar Mili URP

M

H

M

H

M

H

Mrs Sharitunnean " Mr. A.K.M. Shah Alam " Mr Md. Baha Uddin " Mr Md. Kowaar Zaman CES Mr Md. Rabiui Ahaan "

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Appendix 2 (cont'd)

List of trainees under AIT-BUET Programme

September Term, 1989-90 (Second batch)

No. Name Department/Centre

Chowdhury Narmul Alam Nakib Ahmed Md. Saiful Islam Mohammad Iqbal Topan Kumar Paul Salim Hyder Md Jalaluddin Md. Mahbubul Islam Shahidul Islam Amal Chandra Adhikary Md. Rizwanul Bari Md. Matiur Rahman Md. Nessrudin Bhuiyan Monzur Murshed Kabir S.M. Shafiqul Moula Abu Sayed Md. Latiful Haque Sk. Asadullah Al Tarik Md. Tughlaq Azad G.M.M. Kamal Pasha Ainur Rahman A.K.M. Enamul Haque Md. Halal Uddin Md. Haimul Islam Mohd. Hasan Uddouin Motazid Momtaz Md. Abdus Sabur Md. Gulzar Hossain Md. Abul Kalam Azad M. Rafi-al-Basher A.K.M. Shahid Uddin Anwaruzzaman Md. SeraJul Haque S.M. Ismet Anwar Choudhury Md. Mizanur Rahman

IPE ii

H

it

H

H

WRE II

II

II

it

II

CSE H

II

II

•i

URP II

II

II

CES H

II

•• it

II

II

II

II

H

II

II

II

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Appendix 3

List of Faculty Members

September Term 1988-89 (First Year)

Dr M. Anwarul Azim Professor Dept. of Industrial and Production Engineering BUET

Dr Golam Rahman Professor Dept. of Urban and Regional Planning BUET

Dr Md. Abdul Halim Professor Dept. of Water Resources Engineering BUET

Dr A.M.M. Shafiullah Professor Dept. of Civil Engineering BUET

Dr Syed Mahbubur Rahman Associate Professor Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering BUET

Dr Nazmul Haq Associate Professor Dept. of Chemical Engineering BUET

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Appendix 3 (cont'd)

List of Faculty Members

September Term 1989-90 (Second Year)

Dr Md Hanwar Hossain Associate Professor Dept. of Water Resources Engineeering

Dr Md. Zakaria Associate Professor Dept. of Civil Engineering

Dr Md. Shamaul Alam Associate Professor Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering

Dr A.K.M. Nurul Amin Associate Professor Dept. of Industrial & Production Engineering

Dr Taifur Ahmed Chowdhury Associate Professor Dept. of Electronics & Electrical Engineering

Dr A.S.M. Ahbul-un-Nabi Associate Professor Dept. of Urban and Regional Planning

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Appendix 4

List of Major Items of Equipment Supplied to the Project

8951.9 I. DCM 11 pyradometer with Shadowring Attachment 2• Solar Integrator CCR 3. Dual Ch. Recorder

678995.9 4. Shimadzu Bedimente graph with accessories

79000.9 5. Concrete core drill with petrol driven machine 6. Aggregate impact value apparatus 7. Pressure indicating panel 8. Universal pump and pressure indicating panel 9. 3 channel digital readout unit 10. Laboratory vane apparatus hand operated II. Cone penetrometer 12. Autocamp 100 A Automatic Marshall computer 679061.9 13. Macintosh II computer w. Apple high REM colour monitor stand 14. Macintosh will computers - 2 15. Imagewriter Printer 16. LaserWriter 17. Stress path triaxial apparatus 67900.9 18. Air Compressor Unit 700 kpa 19. Measure condition apparatus 20. Signal enhancement seismograph 21. Muffle Furnace 1100 DEG 22. Water bath

678928.9 23. Rex Rotary plain paper copier 24. Carrier-Room air 25. Bangali typewriter 26. English typewritr 27. Toyota Hiace 15 seated microbus 28. Reference materials (books, journals) 678970.9

Two typewriters - Olympia One Epson PC AX2

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678927.9 One Thomson EGA colour monitor One Epson LQ 2500 printer One 3.5" floppy disk

679131.9 Computing equipment ALR workgroup 386 processor Intel 80386 + ALR flex cache 25386 model 3004 + ALR powerflex model 40 processor 80286-10

679877.0 Various microcomputers (3 personal computers) 1 PC AT

Equipment to be delivered in first semester 1991 683033.1

Bedload sampler (delivery planned July 91)

683035.1 Recording and drawing equipment (delivery planned June 91)