A Probe into Development Studies as an Academic Discipline in Bangladesh

Of late, Development Studies has received considerable attention from both academic and practicing quarters in Bangladesh. Although globally there have been many initiatives to understand and capture the major issues and trends in the progression of Development Studies as an academic discipline, research on this specific topic is still grossly inadequate in Bangladesh. This article therefore, aims to explore the current status and associated challenges in the growth of Development Studies as an academic discipline in tertiary level from a Bangladesh perspective; it also proffers some clues on further improvement towards consolidation of this evolving and popular discipline in the country. This paper, in the main, is based on a qualitative research approach. The principal tools and sources of data include relevant secondary literature, official documents, personal observation, and one-on-one semi-structured key informant interviews (KII). The multidisciplinary nature of Development Studies in Bangladesh has led to a degree of ‘identity crisis’ among the graduates. Other emerging challenges include reduced higher studies and job opportunities; scarcity of qualified faculties; inadequate budgetary provisions; difficulty in balancing practicing and academic orientations in the delivery of teaching modules; adapting to changing demand of the broader socioeconomic and development trends and ensuring cost effectiveness in the context of offering the discipline in private universities. Based on the study, it is deemed imperative to recreate an interdisciplinary framework; update the curriculum in accordance with changing socio-political trends; arrange higher number of purposive events and ensure greater institutional monitoring to improve the capacity and quality of teaching. As noted above, there has been strikingly limited research on Development Studies as an academic discipline in the context of Bangladesh; and this study, to the best of our knowledge, is pioneering in this sense.