Ms. Sumaiya Tasneem Haque is a Bangladeshi academic. She has a BA and MA degree in English from Brac University, Bangladesh, and MA degree in Postcolonial Literary and Cultural Studies from the University of Leeds, UK. Since January 2017, Ms. Haque has been working as a lecturer in the department of English and Modern Languages at North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. So far, she has been teaching EAP (English for Academic Purposes) alongside other English major courses at the undergraduate level. Ms. Haque had also been the coordinator for the 21st Asian Youth Forum hosted by Kyoto University of Foreign Studies at Kyoto, Japan, for the Bangladeshi team from North South University, in which her students represented Bangladeshi culture in front of participants from different countries within Asia, via their self-composed drama, and taught Bengali language to the foreign community. Before joining North South University in Spring 2016, she had also been an adjunct faculty member in the Department of English and Humanities at BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Having been professionally trained in Indian classical and Tagore songs for seven years at a music school, she performed on numerous national TV stations and simultaneously participated in several onstage programs in different auditoriums across the capital. In addition, she has appeared on various TV channels and social media as well as in a radio station in Bangladesh, actively inspiring both women and the disabled community to work hard for the betterment of their education as a mode towards attaining economic solvency. On the 30th of November 2021, Ms. Haque has been recognized as one of the 50 notable women of Bangladesh for the extraordinary service and dedication to one’s profession and the participation in the documentary film ‘Bongokonnar Tantpremclassical and Tagore songs for seven years at a music school, she performed on numerous’ by Hernet Tv, Asia’s 1st TV on Women’s Wellbeing. From August 2022 to May 2023, she worked as a visiting faculty (primary instructor for Bengali) in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Culture at Michigan State University, simultaneously representing herself as a Cultural ambassador in the US under the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) program.
- Research titled "Use of Music in Teaching Foreign Language ", presented at FLTA (2022-2023) Mid-Year Conference, Washington DC on 14th November, 2022.
- Paper titled, The Tongue That Could Not Have Spoken Otherwise:
Witnessing Atrocity in Nilima Ibrahim’s Ami Birongona Bolchhi and Shaheen Akhtar’s Talaash, published in the Journal of the Center for English Teaching and Research (CETR): Dhaka University, Volume 1, 2021
- “My life in a sighted world”, a short story published in Write in Power: An Anthology of the Personal and the Political, The Hidden Pen Collective, 2021.
- ‘The Tongue That Could Not Have Spoken Otherwise: Witnessing Atrocity in Selected Works by Women Writers of Bangladesh’– a paper which was presented at the New Directions in Literary Research 19- 20 May 2016, Conference for Students and Fresh Graduates.
- ‘Reclaiming a Place within the Past of Bangladesh in 1971’– a paper presented at the Space and Time – School of English Postgraduate Colloquium at the University of Sheffield on the 28th May 2015.
- A short story titled “Reminiscence” was published in BRAC University’s online magazine, Resonance, in 2011
- An article called “Writ Jurisdiction” was included in the newsletter of the Law Club, BRAC University, in 2011
- An article titled ‘Hearing, Believing and Achieving’ published by Bangladesh Quarterly magazine (a publication of the British Council)
- Fulbright Grant from August 2022 to May 2023.
- Vice Chancellor award for excellent academic performance in Fall 2009 and Spring 2011
- Vice Chancellor award for high standard of discipline and devotion to duties during residential semester in Summer 2009
- Received a number of Dean’s List Award in Summer 2009, Spring 2010, Summer 2010 and Summer 2011 for excellent academic performance.
UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS, UK
September 2014 – August 2015
MA Postcolonial Literary and Cultural Studies
BRAC UNIVERSITY, BANGLADESH
January 2013 – August 2014
MA in English
BRAC UNIVERSITY, BANGLADESH
January 2009 – August 2012
BA in Englis
- Served as Judge (final round) for the debate contest at the National Language Festival entitled ‘Language League’, organized by the Department of English and Modern Languages
- Served as Judge for the speaking contest at the National Language Festival entitled ‘Language League’, organized by the Department of English and Modern Languages
- Served as Judge for the Wordsmiths Essay Competition, organized by the Communications Club
- Made coordinator for the Asian Youth Forum contest at Kyoto, Japan, for the Bangladeshi team from NSU
- Served as Judge for the Ethos competition, organized by the Ethics Club
- Organized a drama performance as part of ENG 115 coursework in AUDI 801
Currently employed as a full-time lecturer at the Department of English and Modern Languages at North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
*Worked as a primary instructor for Bengali in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Culture at Michigan State University under the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) program
* Prepared an extensive list of Bengali vocabulary with pronunciation, picture, and meaning for the most commonly used words in Bengali
*Worked as an adjunct faculty at the Department of English and Humanities at BRAC University in Spring 2016.
*BRAC University: Internship (April 2014- June 2014)-Worked as a Material Developer for BRAC University. Focused on grade IV English textbooks and hence contributed in developing the Teachers’ Guide and planned activities for the students that is being used in the BRAC Nobodhara School from 2015.
Courses Taught at NSU:
Eng102: Introduction to Composition (Numerous sections)
Eng103: Intermediate Composition (Numerous Sections)
Eng 111: Public Speaking
Eng115: Introducton to Literature
Eng222: Survey of American Literature
- Participated at the cultural exhibit at the International Night, Delta Center, Michigan, 27th January, 2023.
- Participated in Nibwaakaa online exhibit project (virtual curation project) as part of the course titled- American Indian Woman, 10th December, 2022.
- As a young international leader, prepared a flipgrid and presented my country, Bangladesh, through the map of the country and its position in the globe, hand-made artifacts such as dolls, baskets and trays made of bamboo and wood and cooking utensils made of brass and taught music to a group of high school students as part of a cultural session, organised by FourH Spectacular Youth Leadership Institute, 1st December, 2022
- "Simplicity Defines the Rich Heritage of Bangladesh", a cultural presentation at the Lions Club as part of the International Speakers' program, Michigan State University, 9th November, 2022.
- As instructed by the Fulbright FLTA team, submitted a 2-minute video clip explaining one of the interesting idiomatic expressions in Bengali, 31st October, 2022.
- Spent time in the cafeteria and the Church to share Bengali culture and information about the Fulbright FLTA Program with the local people, which stimulated interest among many young undergraduate students at Michigan State University to apply for the Fulbright program, 17th August 2022- 9th May 2023.
- Interview in the special program for “International Day for People with Disability”, on Radio Furti, 3rd December, 2019
- Contributed in the news footage on the ‘Stories of Resilience’, in Channel 24, News, 24th November, 2019
- Delivered a talk on women’s empowerment at the program, ‘Nondini’, in Nagorik TV, 9th October, 2019
- BRAC University Campus Secretary: Sept 2009-2010
- Responsible for listing, bookkeeping and managing files of students participating in various extracurricular activities initiated by BRAC Institute of Languages (BIL)
- Delegating responsibilities to individual Dorm Secretaries
- Assisting the welfare committee of the campus in decision-making
- Organizing cultural events
Postcolonial Theory and Literature,
Life Writing and Trauma
Femninsm and Gender studies
