The Department of Political Science & Sociology (PSS) aspires to be the hub of excellence in cutting-edge research and transmission of knowledge in social sciences for producing globally competent citizens.
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The Department of Political Science & Sociology (PSS) is an offshoot of the Department of General & Continuing Education (GCE) which was established in 1997 to offer General Education Courses (GEd) courses in Social Sciences and Liberal Arts. The Department underwent several rounds of reorganizations.
The Department of Political Science & Sociology (PSS) offers General Education (GEd) courses in Social Sciences and Liberal Arts. NSU curriculum requires undergraduate students to complete mandatory 51 credits for university core GEd courses. At present, PSS offers an extensive choice of GEd courses in the areas of Anthropology, Gender Relations, Governance, International Relations, Public Administration, Political Science, Sociology, Television and News Media. PSS department designed its curriculum in a manner that can equip students with critical thinking, intellectual abilities, applied knowledge and ethical responsibilities – these elements have become essential qualities for a leader in the corporate & business world and public sector.
PSS department is currently in the process of offering an applied undergraduate program titled ‘Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSS)”. The program will offer four majors: 1) Politics and Governance 2) Sociology and Anthropology 3) International Studies and 4) Media and Communication Studies. The career opportunity for BSS graduate will include but not limited to working in government as lawmakers, elected officials, civil servants, intelligence/security officials or in national and international think tanks, multinational corporations (MNCs), United Nations (UN), national and international NGOs in various capacities. Other career opportunity includes journalism/ media/ public relations, legal practices, business and teaching. The students of BSS will have the flexibility to choose their major according to their career preferences.
PSS has a strong track record of research in the areas of Politics, Governance, Security, Public Policy, Electoral Violence, Islamic Piety Movement, Citizenship, and Refugee Issues. Washington DC-based ICMA (International City/Country Management Association) NSU Student Chapter is affiliated with the PSS department. ICMA NSU has been Bangladesh’s 1st Asian Student Chapter working with local government management. ICMA NSU is highly committed to arranging competitions, conferences, boot camps and participate in joint research.
All students who qualify to get admitted to the MPPG program will be awarded the scholarship with a full tuition waiver. A small research grant will also be given to the deserving candidates.
Bachelor of Social Science in Media, Communication, and Journalism (BSS in MCJ)
Every semester GCE offers approximately 14-15 courses with 40–65 sections. Students of all other undergraduate programs at NSU are required to complete 6 credits of their total credit requirement in liberal arts and social sciences which is offered by Department of General and Continuing Education (GCE) . GCE department offers and designs these courses, conducts exams and publishes grades. In course of time, this department will offer minor and double major in one or more disciplines in the liberal arts and social sciences.
Prospective Undergraduate Students
Courses Offered:
ANT101 Introduction to Anthropology
ANT103 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
ANT201 South Asian Civilizations
ANT230 Introduction to Social Anthropology and Ethnology
CHN101 Introduction to Chinese Language and Culture
CHN 104 China Studies
POL202 Introduction to International Relations
INT201 Global Security Perspectives
PAD201 Introduction to Public Administration
POL 101 Political Science
POL104 Introduction to Good Governance
POL210 Human Rights & Politics
POL235 Women in Politics
POL260 Introduction to Political Theory
POL300 Good Governance
POL328 Political Behavior
POL385 International Law
POL390 Law of the Seas
SOC101 Introduction to Sociology
SOC201 Contemporary Issues in Gender Relationship
SOC103 Introduction to Criminology
WMS201 Gender and Development
WES318 Gender Issues and Sustainable Development
Course Details
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ANT101 |
Introduction to Anthropology: This introductory course deals with the origins of human culture and society. It addresses the concepts of fundamental phenomena and procedures, such as cultural change, impact of culture on personality development, structures of human relationships, economic and political systems, religious ideologies, gender issues etc. Students are also introduced to basic research methods that help them develop the primary skills to study human behaviors. ( 3 credits.)
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ANT103 |
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology: Survey of cultural anthropology deals with the nature of culture and its various aspects including social organization, technology, economics, religion and language and as they are seen among contemporary human societies with diverse ways of life. It also gives some attention to distinctive theoretical approaches and to problems of culture change. Prerequisite: ( 3 credits.) |
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ANT201 |
South Asian Civilizations: This course provides an overview of the cultural and institutional history of the states of the South Asian region including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka with attention to their dominant commercial, political, religious, social and artistic traditions. ( 3 credits.) |
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ANT230
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Introduction to Social Anthropology and Ethnology: This course provides an introduction to the anthropological study of contemporary human society. The course emphasizes on the comparative study of social organization, interpersonal relations, cultural ecology and processes of socio-cultural change. It also includes some consideration of the method and theory of ethnological field research. Prerequisite: ANT103, or consent of instructor. ( 3 credits.) |
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CHN 101 |
Introduction to Chinese Language and Culture: This course is designed to acquaint students with the Chinese language and culture. The course emphasizes speaking, vocabulary building, reading and translating skills of the common Chinese dialects. In addition to Chinese language, Chinese history and culture also receive preeminence in this course which is taught in English. ( 3 credits.) |
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CHN 104 |
China Studies: This course is interdisciplinary in nature that focuses on the politico-economic history of modern China since 1949. It deals with topics such as political cohesion and consolidation achieved under Chairman Mao until mid-1970s; modification of the planned economy with market forces by Deng Hsio Ping in the early 1980s; continuation of monolithic power structure with the democratization of grass root institutions in recent years etc. Special emphasis is given on Chinese trade policies – how these have helped boost up Chinese economy lately, and their compatibility with the outside world, including Bangladesh. ( 3 credits.) |
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HIS201 |
History of Science and Technology: The purpose of this course is to make students think and analyze the emergence of science and technology and their implications for modern life. It helps students gain insights into how science is actually practiced and how scientific questions are answered in the broader historical, social and philosophical context. Major topics included: Pre-renaissance science: Greek natural philosophy, Greco-Roman technology, the Islamic/Arabic science, medieval technology and social change; the Renaissance and the emergence of modern science; Revolutions in science, methods of science; Science and religion; Internet revolution and the spread of social media and their multifarious impacts on contemporary life and society. ( 3 credits.) |
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INT101 |
Introduction to International Relations: The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with the core concepts, processes, and issues of International Relations (IR). It covers the major concepts and theories in the field of IR as well as significant issues in contemporary world politics. After taking this course, the students would develop better grasping and analytical capability over the developments in regional and global politics. ( 3 credits.) |
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INT201 |
Global Security Perspectives: This course makes students familiarize with the changes that have taken place in security discourse in the post-Cold War and post-9/11 eras where even domestic concerns in the farthest corner of the globe may turn out to be a global security issue. The topics include: contemporary trends in the security debate; relationship between current security issues and the stability of the state system; international and state terrorism; changing weapons technology and defense expenditure; arms transfers and arms trading; regional cooperation and national security concerns. Students are encouraged to explore different perspectives in order to develop their own understanding of these issues in a changing world. ( 3 credits.) |
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LBA 102 |
Introduction to World Civilization: This course focuses on the values and importance of the study of the history of human civilization. It focuses on the ancient civilizations in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Babylonia; Harappa civilization and the Gandhara civilization, ancient Chinese culture and civilization; ancient Greek civilization, Muslim civilization and their influence over European Renaissance, scientific innovations, cultural progress and religious reformation. The rise of powerful nation states in Europe and North America and the impact of scientific and technological supremacy of the west over the so-called ‘backward communities’ are also studied here. ( 3 credits.) |
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PAD 201 |
Introduction to Public Administration: This introductory course provides a systematic analysis of government operations and acquaints students with the key concepts, theories and praxis of the discipline of Public Administration. It looks into the evolution of the concept of public administration and its importance, the role and function of government and public managers, the skills required by them in imparting duties, the difference between public and business management, and the changing role of public officials in contemporary times. Special attention is given to apply and relate the theoretical knowledge in explaining the functions, complexities and dynamics of public governance in Bangladesh. ( 3 credits.) |
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POL 101 |
Introduction to Political Science: This course provides students with some of the core concepts of political science, such as state, sovereignty, constitutionality, political culture, democracy, political party, civil society and the functioning of major political systems including Bangladesh. It addresses issues, institutions and structures that correspond to our everyday life and shape our political behavior and perceptions as ‘political animal’. 3 credits. |
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POL 102 |
Comparative Politics: This course provides an introduction to the comparative study of politics through a survey of main concepts and methodological approaches of the field. The course focuses on selected political systems and examines and compares their political cultures, institutions, policy-making processes, and capacity to adapt to change. (3 credits.) |
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POL 104 |
Introduction to Good Governance: This course introduces students with the concept and various aspects of good governance and their relevance in Bangladesh. Topics included are: fostering good governance- accountability, transparency, participation, freedom of information, sound judicial system, capacity building; major governance problems of Bangladesh; role of civil society (including media, NGOs etc.) in ensuring good governance; culture, governance and underdevelopment; relationship between better governance and the growth of private sector; donor’s agenda in governance; corruption in government sector; E-governance. (3 credits.) |
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POL 210 |
Human Rights and Politics: This course examines the theory and practice of human rights in contemporary world politics. Among the core issues that are examined here include the historical origins and philosophical foundations of human rights; the nature of contemporary human rights problems, and the role that politics plays in generating and/or sustaining them, and the strategies that are currently being advocated to reduce the human rights violations. The course also examines the role of the Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) in advancing and protecting human rights throughout the world. (3 credits.) |
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POL 235 |
Women in Politics: An introduction to political status and roles of women. Topics include woman’s political socialization, voting behavior ,and political participation; feminist and anti-feminist politics; contemporary legislative and public policy issues, such as educational equality, equal rights legislation and health care delivery for women. (3 credits.) |
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POL260 |
Introduction to Political Theory: The nature, structure and purposes of political theory; uses major works on the problems of political order, obedience, justice, liberty and representation to distinguish and clarify different theoretical approaches; designed to be an introduction to ideas, not a historical survey. Prerequisite: POL100 or the consent of instructor. (3 credits.) |
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POL300 |
Good Governance: Meaning of “good” and “justice” in governance. Classical medieval, modern, and post-modern interpretations. Structure and processes of good governance. Role of legislatures in western vis-a-vis non-western political cultures: Greek, Roman, French, English and South Asian experiences. Behavioral views of good and bad governance: role of legislative, executive and judicial leaders. Implications on policy implementation. Role of bureaucracy in good governance. Linkage between politics, bureaucracy and administrative reform. Evaluation and monitoring of implementation activities. Structure and issues of civil society of the 21st century. (3 credits.) |
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POL 328 |
Political Behavior: An analysis of interrelations of political attitude and public formation; special attention to the substantive areas of voting behavior, political leadership and rise of political mass movements; and also a review of the literature on democratic and authoritarian personality types. (3 credits.) |
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POL 385 |
International Law: Analyzes the concepts and bases of public international law; topics include sources and subjects of international law, as well as issues of jurisdiction, territory, and use of military force. Prerequisite: INT101 or consent of instructor. (3 credits.) |
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POL 390 |
Law of the Seas: The Law of the Sea Convention as a legal and institutional framework for conduct of nations in open waters: issues of national jurisdiction, sovereignty, delimitation: territorial sea and contiguous zone, including baselines; exclusive economic zone and fishery zone; continental shelf; high seas; islands and archipelagos; navigation and naval activities; living and non-living marine resources; rights, extraction, prevention, reduction and control of marine pollution; liabilities for damage arising from marine pollution: case studies; protection, conservation and management of marine living resources within and beyond national jurisdiction; dispute settlement; international seabed area and international seabed authority. (3 credits.) |
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SOC101 |
Introduction to Sociology: This course provides students with an introduction and understanding of the primary phenomena, concepts, issues and practices associated with sociology. Topics included examination of how societies grow and change; reciprocal effects of economic, political, familial, and scientific institutions on each other and on individual life; changes and social conflict, problems of bureaucratic growth and planned and unplanned social change. (3 credits.) |
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SOC 103 |
Introduction to Criminology: This course provides a basic introduction on crime, deviance, delinquency, punishment, treatment, victimization, legal jurisprudence, legal defenses, restorative justice, etc. A history of criminological thought and practice is presented with an emphasis on the continuities and discontinuities between early and modern day approaches in crime and criminal justice. Students completing this course should be able to understand and describe basic theory, concepts and terminology commonly employed in the field of criminology and criminal justice. (3 credits.) |
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SOC201 |
Contemporary Issues in Gender Relationship: Historical background of the development of gender studies as a separate discipline; theoretical debates on gender role - socio-biological argument, materialist conception, private vs. public analysis, psychoanalytic perspective, environmental debate, ideological issues; concept of ‘Gender’ and ‘Feminism’; gender methodology; Gender theory - integration vs. autonomy debate, politics of reproduction, ethno-methodological viewpoint; empirical issues- women and stratification, women and social mobility, women and development; women as vulnerable subject - control over women through institutions of marriage, education and religion; future of gender studies, problems and prospects of gender studies in Bangladesh. Prerequisite: ENG102. (3 credits.) |
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TNM 201 |
Television and New Media (TNM): The purpose of this course is to equip students with specialized knowledge and skills in interactive design and production. The course provides a distinctive, multidisciplinary vision of new media and communications theory. It covers the interactive program planning; production technology; program making and development and news reporting, and communication management. (3 credits.) |
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WMS201 |
Gender and Development: The direction and aims of development; gender relations; critical issues in rural and industrial development as regards to women’s access to paid work; women’s access to land, labor markets, income, credit and training; women’s role in import substitution or export promotion strategies, implications for economic growth and social equality, employment generation and sexual division of labor; technological innovation and its impact on gender; economic crisis, structural adjustment policies and their implications for gender divisions in labor and well-being; gender policy relevant research needs, strategies, methods. Prerequisite: ENG102. (3 credits.) |
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WES 318 |
Gender Issues and Sustainable Development: This course attempts to present and disentangle the various positions put forward by major actors and to clarify the political and theoretical issues that are at stake in the debates on women, environment and sustainable development. (3 credits) |
Master in Public Policy and Governance
The Master in Public Policy and Governance (MPPG) aims at providing high quality research based education in public administration and public policy. Students are expected to be able to analyze and understand complex issues of public policy and administration by means of organization theory and theories of public policy. The MPPG Program focuses on current, appropriate, and cutting-edge topics of public policy analysis, new modes of governance including New Public Management, e-Governance, globalization, corruption, environment and sustainable development and local governance in the South-Asian and international settings. One of the major objectives of the program is to analyze policies aimed at poverty reduction programs of NGOs such as micro-credit, government's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) Program, policies concerning environment, health, and education, women empowerment and conscientization, and local democracy. This is achieved largely through theoretically oriented and empirically based research on dynamics of policy making and implementation in formal and complex organizations, and in non-profit and international agencies. How they act and interact to make public choices that influence public life, enhance general welfare, and ensure democratic rights and principles of good governance.
The program aims to produce graduates with professional skills to map, analyze, and participate in matters relating to public policy and governance drawing on the forefronts of research, practice, and pedagogy in these fields. Knowledge empowerment and knowledge transfer are facilitated through encouraging faculty members, young professionals and students to participate in research, publish research works, and disseminate findings in order to improve governance and public policy making in their places of work.
Change Management Training Program
The Department of General and Continuing Education (GCE) has launched a training project under UNDP’s Civil Service Change Management Programme which is called: Change Management Training in collaboration with the Ministry of Establishment of the Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh. This training program is specially designed to develop a core group in the civil service who will be responsible for implementing change processes in selected areas to ensure pro-poor service delivery and to provide knowledge based leadership in civil service.
The Civil Service Change Management Programme (CSCMP) is an initiative of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and the UNDP with the aim to provide ‘a toolbox or road map’ for civil service reform in Bangladesh. This public administration reform program aims at supporting the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh in undertaking strategic, doable and high-leverage initiatives. The Programme is part of a longer ‘tradition’ of public administration reform in Bangladesh (in fact, the reform of the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) has been on the political agenda since Independence in 1971). The long list of both indigenous and donor-driven reform efforts has significantly influenced the conceptualisation and formulation of the Programme. CSCMP does not intend to design, develop and implement wholesale public administration reform. Instead, its main aim is to put the BCS on the road to change, in line with the essentially incremental and unpredictable nature of change. The Programme devotes ample attention to implementation, more specifically, to the management of the changes.
The Programme tries to realise this output through strategic interventions in carefully selected reform areas, in order to create maximum leverage for further reform activities:
The change management strategy for CSCMP will incorporate the lessons taught by system and complexity theory and take a flexible and entrepeneurial approach to change at BCS. It will resist the temptation of planned and controlled change, and focus instead upon assisting the BCS in setting up conductive conditions for change to emerge, evolve and consolidate, with an emphasis on the development of the capacity of the organization to learn, adapt and change. Additionally, CSCMP will encourage, stimulate and facilitate building relationships with other actors in the system, while at the same time encourage those actors to become engaged in the change process at the BCS.
North-South Partnership of the Program
MPPG program is a joint program of the Department of General and Continuing Education, NSU, and the Department of Administration and Organization Theory, University of Bergen, Norway with partnership with the Central Department of Public Administration Tribhuvan University, Nepal. The MPPG program, the one of its kind in South Asia, aims to attract students from the South Asian region.
Norwegian students from the faculty of social sciences at University of Bergen are encouraged to take part of their studies in Bangladesh. The North-South University has competent members of the faculty and a very congenial academic atmosphere for knowledge production and dissemination. In this regard, the MPPG Program with relevant courses within the fields of social science will be attractive to Norwegian students.
Furthermore, the Department of Administration and Organization Theory at University of Bergen admits 5-8 students from South Asia (mainly from Bangladesh and Nepal) every year under the Quota Scholarship program and the erstwhile Norad Fellowship Program (NFP). In the future, a sandwich program will be established between Bergen and NSU to allow new quota students to take certain courses at NSU to prepare them for better utilization of their academic and scholarly activities in Bergen. The MPPG Program may admit quota students from this region to make full use of the MPPG Program at North-South University.
The Master in Public Policy and Governance (MPPG) Program under the Department of General and Continuing Education at North South University has partnership with the University of Bergen in Norway, Tribhuvan University in Nepal and University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. Initially it was a tripartite contract by the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU) with the University of Bergen, Norway (main partner institution in North) and North South University, Bangladesh (main partner institution in South). Tribhuvan University in Nepal joined the project as “other partnering institution” at the onset of the project launching and University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka joined the group at the end of 2008 as a beneficiary in the South-South partnership under the project.
The main partnering institution of the MPPG Program under the NOMA (Norad’s Master Studies Program) funding of the tripartite contract is the Department of Administration and Organization Theory of the University of Bergen (UiB) in Norway. Dr. Ishtiaq Jamil, Associate Professor of the Department of Administration and Organization Theory is the Project Coordinator of the NOMA-MPPG project in Norway. UiB mainly looks after the overall management of the project and supports technically.
UiB is Norway's urban university who is intricately woven into the geographical, historical and cultural framework of the city, with 14,500 students and 3,200 faculty and staff. The University of Bergen is constantly interfacing with the international environment in order to expand its borders and to explore the world. It is heavily involved in international co-operation in research and education. The university has signed bilateral agreements with universities, research institutions and academic centers of excellence in all parts of the world. UiB is also committed to co-operating with developing countries and has established programs with universities in Third World Countries in the areas of health, poverty, and resource management. And, the NOMA-MPPG Program is one of those promising international effort for development cooperation.
The partnering department at UiB was established in 1980, emerged as an independent department. In 1985 the Department adopted its present name: "The Department of Public Administration and Organization Theory"
The field of study is aimed at familiarizing students with classical problems in political science and political theory such as: the relationship between state and society; organization and individual; professionalization; the division of responsibility between the public and private sectors; democratization; the nature of politics; the relation between politics and administration; conditions for governance; leadership, steering, and management; what are characteristic features of different systems of governance and their normative foundations; ethical issues; and what the relationship is between the values to be realized and the systems of governance that are employed. The field of study is directed to the clarification of how different organizational forms affect the content of decisions, how they are implemented, and what the consequences are. The Department fully recognizes the importance of seeking to broaden the basis of knowledge through research and to lay the foundation for the recruitment of new researchers. Such knowledge is also a necessary prerequisite for the emergence of a group of professionals who possess the academic qualifications required to address and handle problems in society related to administration and organization.
The Central Department of Public Administration under the Faculty of Management at Tribhuvan University is the other partner of the NOMA-MPPG program in South. Dr. Tek Nath Dhakal, Associate Professor of the department at the university is the NOMA Project Coordinator in Nepal. A total of 10 students had been selected from Nepal is two batches (6 students in 2008 intake and 4 students in 2009 intake) through the partner institution for the master degree program (MPPG program).
Set up in 1959, Tribhuvan University (TU) is a pioneering institution of higher education in Nepal. Named after the late King Tribhuvan, TU is situated in Kirtipur, a small ancient town located five kilometers away from downtown Kathmandu. Tribhuvan University, a non-profit autonomous institution, is financed mainly by the Government of Nepal. During its 49 years long journey, the state owned university has expanded its programs in different disciplines. There are five technical institutes and four general faculties, which offer 300 courses at certificate, 1079 courses at bachelors and 1000 courses at master levels. Currently, the total courses offered by the university number more than 2400. Both technical institutes and general faculties offer Ph.D. programs in different disciplines.
Prior to 1980, TU offered the courses through its constituent campuses only. With the increasing number of students interested in joining the Tribhuvan University, there was a necessity of establishing colleges in the private sector because the constituent campuses of the university alone could not cater to the demand of the nation. So from 1979-80 onward TU started providing affiliation to private colleges to conduct various programs at different levels. 561 private colleges, spread all over the country, have so far received TU affiliations.
In the academic session (2008-09) there are altogether 2,90,833 students enrolled at the various levels of TU academic programs. The majority of the students (71,592) belongs to its 60 constituent campuses and 37 central departments while the remaining (1, 19,241) study at the 561 affiliated colleges. It shows that population of students in constituent campuses is very high. This is because of the low tuition fees and easy access. Tribhuvan University has 7,049 teaching faculty members and 5607 non-teaching staffs including support staff in its constituent campuses.
The Faculty of Management (FOM) has its ultimate objective of educating students for professional pursuits in business, industry and government. It is further dedicated to contributing to enhance the knowledge and understanding of business and administration. With these aims, the Central Department of Public Administration under this faculty offers Master of Public Administration (MPA) and M.Phil along with Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS), Bachelor of Travel and Tourism (BTTM), Bachelor of Hotel Management (BHM), Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Information Management (BIM), Post Graduate Diploma in Police Science (PGDPS), Master of Business Studies (MBS) and Master of Business Administration (MBA).
The Department of Political Science of University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka joined the NOMA-MPPG program at the fourth quarter of 2008 as a partner in South. Professor A.M. Navaratna Bandara is the Project Coordinator in the partner institution in Sri Lanka. 2 students had been selected from Sri Lanka in 2009 intake through the partner institution for the master degree program (MPPG program).
The University of Peradeniya is the heir to the oldest university, founded in July 1, 1942, tradition in Sri Lanka as the successor to the University of Ceylon, the first institution of its kind in the country.
It is located on a site of great natural beauty, just 8km from the city of Kandy - the historic capital of last independent kingdom of Sri Lanka, and 100km from Colombo, the current capital of the country. The university consists of seven academic faculties. About 1800 undergraduates enter the university annually, to make up an undergraduate student population of 6600, and the total number of postgraduate students registered is over 1200. Out of the total undergraduate student population, about 5100 are provided accommodation on and around campus. The University celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1992.
The partnering department – “Political Science” at Peradeniya is the first such department to be established in a university in Sri Lanka. However, even before its establishment as a fully fledged department in 1980, several courses in political science were offered in the Special Degree Program in Economics. After being established as a department, we can see a rapid growth in the subject in terms of courses taught, areas specialized in, and the number of students enrolled. In line with new developments in the subject, there was a gradual shift of emphasis towards studying more dynamic aspects of politics. Public administration, international relations, and comparative government were offered as special options. Towards the end of the 1990s further new courses on gender, conflict resolution, human rights, and political violence and terrorism were added to the departmental curriculum. With these developments there was a marked increase in the number of students offering the subject. Today this department has become the focal point in the study of Political Science in the country, providing guidance and resource persons in the preparation of syllabi, textbooks, and the conduct of a range of examinations. It is not surprising that most of the political science teachers of other Sri Lankan universities are drawn from among the products of Peradeniya. With a considerable number of postgraduate students and a senior staff with research experience, the department now lays great emphasis on research. It is also relevant to note that the department offers opportunities for visiting researchers.
The National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) is an advanced educational institution in Thailand to prepare people to become agents of change for development. Recently MPPG Program has signed MOU with NIDA to provide two PhD. scholarships to the students of the MPPG program in each year. Post Doctoral research fund will also be offered to the faculties of NSU under this MOU.
Singapore Civil Service College is an apex public sector training institution in the South-East Asia. At present, Singapore Civil Service College and MPPG, North South University jointly running a three months long training program entitled as ‘Civil Service Change Management Training’. Bangladeshi Civil Servants at the rank of Senior Assistant Secretary are participating in this program.
One of the major purposes of MPPG is to involve students in research activities to stimulate their thought process and enhance their analytical skills. In this regard, students are encouraged to participate actively in seminars and workshops to learn research techniques and to write scientific papers. The students will also be encouraged to participate in policy seminars/ workshops within and outside the campus
Mahboob Rasheed
Senior Officer
Phone 88 02 55668200, Ext: 2102
Email: mahboob.rasheed@northsouth.edu
Muhammad Asaduzzaman Nur
Faculty Assistant
Phone 88 02 55668200, Ext: 6354
Email: muhammadasaduzzaman@northsouth.edu
PSS Office
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Level 09, North Academic Building (NAC), North South University,
Plot - 15, Block - B, Bashundhara, Dhaka - 1229, Bangladesh
Number of courses in various terms will be taught by members of the faculty at NSU, visiting professors from University of Bergen and University of Tribhuvan and other universities of the region. In addition Expert / Guest Speakers from policy making positions from international agencies, bilateral and multilateral development partners will also be invited regularly to supplement the course curricula of different courses.
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A |
93 and above |
C + |
77-79 |
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A - |
90-92 |
C |
73-76 |
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87-89 |
C - |
70-72 |
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83-86 |
D + |
67-69 |
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80-82 |
D |
60-66 |
Showing - of Faculty Members
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The students of SOC 101 (section 5, 6, 51, 52) course, taught by Dr. Ishrat Zakia Sultana, met an extraordinary woman in their last class in the Spring 2024. She is Ms. Nahian Bushra - an artist, a reciter, a singer, and a voice artist. She works at Bangladesh Television. She is the Cultural Affairs Coordinator at Physically-challenged Development Foundation (PDF). Also, she works on women gaining ground projects at Banhishikha and works as a disability rights activist. She is a humanist.
She studied at Mirpur Girls Ideal Laboratory Institute, Dhaka, Viqarunnisa Noon College, Dhaka, and she did her Master’s in international Relations at the University of Dhaka. She is visually impaired and has been supporting students with disabilities.
She appeared as a special guest in Sociology class at NSU. The topic of the class that day was Gender. Ms. Bushra talked about how women’s vulnerability is multiplied when disability accompanies. She shared her stories of overcoming the series of obstacles in her life so far and also her future dream to stand beside those who are in need of mental health support. The students asked her questions about her motivations and spirit in completion of her study and other activities despite the negative environment around her. She responded to their questions with patience and enthusiasm, and performed a Bengali song for the students. At the end, students took photos with her. One of her songs is available here.
In Spring 2023, Dr. Sk. Tawfique M. Haque, Chair of the Department of PSS, delivered a special lecture to the Sociology students on Culture. Apart from his discussion on the conceptual part, his lecture included real life examples and diversity from different contexts, which engaged the students quite well. His lecture highlighted how culture is inherited as well as learned, and how we should acknowledge the diversity of culture instead of judging the differences in cultural practices.
SOC101 course taught by Dr. Ishrat Zakia Sultana often invites guest lecturers to orient the students with different perspectives of looking at issues related to the society. Among the guest lecturers, Professor William P. Simmons from the University of Arizona (USA), Professor Reena Kukreja from Queen's University (Canada), Dr. Harisur Rahman and Professor Rizwanul Islam from NSU delivered virtual lectures in 2020-2022.
Ms. Becky Adda-Dontoh, the Peace and Development Advisor at United Nations Bangladesh, physically came to NSU as a guest lecturer in the WMS 201 course in April 2022. Here are the photos of her class:
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SOC101 has been inviting guest speakers to the class to help students learn the perspectives of the speakers on various issues related to life and thus see the link between these perspectives and the Sociological concepts.
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