DHAKA: Professor Ahmadullah Mia, PhD, renowned researcher of the country, has been appointed as the Pro-Vice Chancellor of University of Development Alternative (UODA).

President Abdul Hamid appointed the pro-vice chancellor for four years as per Section 32 (1) of Private University Act, 2010 after Board of Trustees of the UODA proposed the name of the veteran educator. 

A circular signed by Registrar of the university Dr. Iffat Chowdhury was issued on Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, Prof. Mia joined UODA as the pro-vice chancellor on July 2, the circular added.  
 
Prof. Mia has got more than 50 years of experience in teaching, training, research, management of social development programs and projects, policy review and action planning for Social and Human Development.

His educational background includes Master’s from Dhaka University in1963 and PhD from the School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western University at Cleveland, Ohio, USA in 1968.

Besides, he had several specialized training in Research Methods, Organisation and Management, and Poverty Eradication Strategies from different overseas countries/universities.

He started teaching at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research as Lecturer in 1964 and gradually got to the position of Professor and then Director of the Institute. Prior to Joining the present position as Pro-Vice Chancellor of UODA, he was Professor and Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences at the same university. 

Earlier he worked as the Executive Director of the Underprivileged Children’s Education Program (UCEP), a reputed program at national and international levels, which had conceptualized and designed on the basis of his research on the poor children engaged in manual work of different types or mere street children struggling for survival. Under his leadership the program became a model of innovative approach to developing the poor and disadvantaged children into skilled human resource with basic education and technical-vocational training capable of improving the quality of life of their own and their families. 

His research works cover a wide range of developmental areas like population and development, formal and non-formal education together with skills training for the underprivileged population groups as effective approach to human resource development and poverty alleviation, women and youth development, use of both conventional communication techniques and modern media of communication in order to bring about changes in the underdeveloped community of people to improve their quality of life. His persistent interest in the wellbeing of the disadvantaged groups of children and adolescents led to being Founder Chairman of two other reputed non-government developmental organizations: Village Education Resource Center (VERC) Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF) which are nationally and internally known for their works in the areas of childrens’ rights promotion, literacy promotion, skills development for enhanced income and health care services.

As Professor and Dean at UODA he has taught Research Methods and supervised Dissertation works of students studying in Department of Communication and Media Studies. He also has taught students studying Marketing in the Faculty of Business Studies. His research expertise covers a wide range of areas including Communication for Development, and as such he has been guiding teachers’ research related to use of Communication Media and Methods for Development of underdeveloped communities in Bangladesh.  

Prof. Mia worked as short-term Consultant to a good many development projects of the Bangladesh Government through different Ministries and many International Agencies including several UN bodies. He has widely travelled across many countries covering almost all the continents attending international meetings and professional forums as key speaker or keynote presenter based on his research studies or experience as action project leader. His research articles published in national and international journals and research monographs and analytic papers published or documented in seminar reports exceed one hundred and fifty.

BDST: 1915 HRS, JULY 5, 2017
AP