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Entire DU campus to go under Wi-Fi network soon: VC
[October 25, 2014]

Entire DU campus to go under Wi-Fi network soon: VC


(United News of Bangladesh Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Dhaka, Oct 25 (UNB) Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique has said a process is underway to bring its entire campus under Wi-Fi network, aiming to reach the internet facility to all of its students.



"A process is on to bring the whole campus under Wi-Fi network as it's our duty to make the new generation digitally literate. So, we're attaching the highest importance to digital literacy," he said.

The VC said this in an interview with UNB at his residence on Thursday night on Digital Bangladesh and Dhaka University's role.


Dr Arefin Siddique said, "We've set up one computer lab in every department and made a 'hotspot' in every building and hall of the university so that students can use the internet when necessary. We're taking steps so that students can browse the internet sitting in their dormitory rooms." About the DU's present digitisation, Arefin Siddique, a professor of Mass Communication and Journalism, said, "We've made the university library almost digitised. Its admission process is now 100 percent digitalised. We can say the university is directly involved in the digital Bangladesh programme." He went on saying, "A process is on to make the university fully digitised, though it's not possible to implement the plan overnight. But, I think, we're moving fast to implement the 'Digital Bangladesh'." He mentioned that the university is also arranging computer training for its officials and employees.

Over the limited seats in Computer Science and Engineering Department and Institute of Information Technology, the VC said, "We realise that the number of seats is needed to be increased in the Computer Science Department and the IT Institute.

But the problem of the University is that there's no scope for infrastructural extension as the university is situated at the heart of the cityThere's hardly any scope to expand even an inch of land." There are only 60 seats in DU's Computer Science for the 2014-15 academic session in Honours first year, while 30 in Engineering Department of Institute of Information Technology.

The structures can be expanded to some extent by demolishing the existing ones, the VC said adding that there is a financial constraint in this regard. "But we've given priority to the construction of high-rise buildings to raise the number of seats in the disciplines like Computer Science and IT." "We can raise the number of seats in departments under Social Sciences Faculty by 10 to 15 each but we can't do it in the Science Faculty as it requires increasing laboratory facilities alongside raising the number of seatsIt's very expensive. We've financial constraint. But we've been continuing our efforts in this regard, especially in joint collaboration with foreign universities," he added.

The VC urged the new public universities to come forward to increase the number of seats in Computer Science and IT disciplines to accommodate more and more students as the new generation has the huge interest in the subjects.

"The new public universities have their own huge campuses which remain utilised, where they can build necessary infrastructures," he added.

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