By Aminul Islam Mirja
 
NEW DELHI, July 13, 2021 (BSS) – Advertisement to appoint a visiting professor for “Bangabandhu Chair” set up at Delhi University to honour Bangladesh’s Founding Father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is likely to be made soon, sources said.
 
“We will make an advertisement to get the first ‘visiting professor’ for Bangabandhu Chair from the academic year 2021-’22 ,” said Vice Chancellor of Delhi University Prof. P C Joshi here on Monday.
 
Talking to BSS following signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this end, the VC said the appointment will be made in accordance with the selection procedure outlined in Article 5 of the agreement.
 
Besides, Director General of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Dinesh K. Patnaik told the national news agency of Bangladesh that ICCR and High Commission of India will make the advertisement to this end.  
 
Meanwhile, the ICCR and the Delhi University signed the agreement to establish “Bangabandhu Chair”, first of its kind in India, at the Delhi University in honour of Father of Bengali Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
 
ICCR President Vanay Sahasrabuddhe and Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Muhammad Imran witnessed the signing ceremony.
 
 According to the MoU, the Chair will be occupied by a foreign national, preferably of Bangladesh, who is an expert on Bangladesh in the fields as per the academic requirement of the university for each academic year.
 
The university will select the visiting professor from a panel to be sent by the ICCR consisting three candidates having a doctoral or equivalent qualification or a senior subject expert of 8-10 years of technical or working experiences.  
 
The duration of the ICCR Chair would be deemed for five years subject to renewal and further extension with mutual understanding and approval.
 
“Each individual appointment to the ICCR Chair (to be herewith referred to as the Visiting Professor) would be for a minimum period of one semester extendable with the mutual consent of all parties,” it said.
 
The MoU will come into force on the date of signatures and will remain in force for five academic years as per the academic calendar of the university while termination or continuation of the MoU will be with mutual agreement.
 
The agreement says, the ICCR will facilitate the costs of the visiting professor for the chair which includes monthly salary with all admissible allowances as per norms of UGC, business class air tickets to and from, visa facilitation and visa fees.
 
Besides, the university will provide facilities to the visiting professor for activities including domestic travel for research and development activities, cover health insurance, medical facilities, suitable office space, secretarial assistance and transportation.
 
On the other hand, the visiting professor is responsible to finalize the curriculum in consultation with the university, teach students as per academic requirements of the university, help the research students and to take part in seminars, conferences and faculty meetings.
 
The visiting professor has to deliver at least one public lecture in each semester to be arranged by the university and shall abide by the university’s code of conduct, HR and other policies.    
 
The development for setting up the chair coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the Bangladesh Liberation War, birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Indo-Bangladesh diplomatic relations.
 
The key focus of establishment of the chair will be on the shared cultural heritage of India and Bangladesh with subjects like Anthropology, Buddhist Studies, Geography, History, Music, Fine Arts and Political Science, the ICCR earlier said in a statement here.
 
Establishing “Bangabandhu Chair” at Delhi University is the outcome of one of the understandings reached during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Bangladesh in March 2021.