Dhaka University and UNFPA Join Hands to Strengthen Population Research and Policy Planning

In a commendable step towards an enlightened and equitable Bangladesh, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the University of Dhaka signed an agreement to strengthen research and knowledge management in population research. The collaboration was signed on October 26, 2025, at the Economic Relations Division of the Ministry of Finance, where hope and cooperation filled the atmosphere.

The signing ceremony brought together key figures, including Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Secretary, ERD and Ms Catherine Breen Kamkong, Country Representative, UNFPA Bangladesh. Professor Abu Hasanat Md. Kishowar Hossain, Department Chairman, Population Sciences, represented the university as Project Director. For the attendees, it was not just a signing but a commitment towards building a future in which research is applied to make national choices.

Under this arrangement, the project is titled “Strengthening Research and Knowledge Management Capacity of the Department of Population Sciences, University of Dhaka.’’ The project is co-funded by UNFPA and the Government of Bangladesh and aims to make the Department of Population Sciences a centre of national excellence. Furthermore, the project will focus on generating data and evidence that guide policy on gender equality, demographic transformation, climate resilience, reproductive health, child marriage, fertility,  urbanisation and so on.

The Department of Population Sciences is in a special niche in Bangladesh’s academic life. It is a multidisciplinary learning hub where economics, sociology, health, and environment come together to explore the lives and future of human beings. It is an academic hub where emphasis on research begins from the very first semester. Two research methodology courses, a mandatory research monograph, numerous research opportunities, and guidance from internationally qualified faculty have consistently kept the students of the Department of Population Sciences ahead in research. The agreement between the University of Dhaka and UNFPA has further expanded the scope of their research. In exchange, they will have opportunities to hone their research skills, think through new ideas, and advance national development with meaningful contributions.

As Bangladesh works towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and honouring its commitments to the International Conference on Population and Development, efforts like these remind us that research is not merely about figures. It is about individuals, their lives, and the ability of knowledge to enhance lives.
Source:
– Facebook page of the University of Dhaka