A flash on agricultural extension

Students & Teachers at Study Tour
Students & Teachers at Study Tour
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Sheikh Mohammed Mamur Rashid (Mahin) :
Agricultural Extension & Information System (AEIS) Department is one of the essential departments of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU), Dhaka. There are 15 departments in faculty of Agriculture including extension department. Agricultural Extension is the part educational activities of the Faculty of Agriculture. In the course curriculum of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU), the students of under-graduate, post-graduate & Ph.D. courses are given agricultural extension education. The Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU) is established on its motto education, research & extension and the mission of this university is based on the firm belief that Agricultural education, specially higher education provides a critical pathway to leadership development in the field of academic and research as well as more broadly in achieving sustainable agricultural development, economic progress and social development of the country. SAU at present is playing and committed to play a very vital role in agricultural research and development (R &D) of Bangladesh through creation of knowledge, agricultural technology generation and transfer, crop diversification and intensification for the benefit of farming communities. Agricultural extension is contributes a large to achieving its vision through the mission.
The students of this department also take part in different co-curriculum activities. They lead the Politics, social welfare, cultural activities etc. on campus. The students of this department at MS, Md. Romiz Uddin and Debasis kor regulate the drama organization “Kishan Theatre” of this university as the president and general- secretary of Drama organization respectively. At a conversation with Md.Ramiz, he expressed his eagerness to work on the Agriculture improvement after completing award the MS degree. Debasis also mentioned that the founder president of SAU Language club named S.S.M.Rashid is their classmate, added in this speech. General Secretary of SAU BCL, Debasis Das is also a student of this department. The student of this department at MS, Saima Sadia is renowned as a famous face for her participation in different social welfare activities. Despite these others students of this department are enlightened in their respective sectors. The ex students of this department are now enjoying different top post of different Governmental and non-governmental sectors.
Courses: The Agricultural Extension & Information System department of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU) offers 14 credit hours both theoretical and practical at under graduate level of B.Sc.Ag(Hons) program. The courses are conducted at three different semesters among the eight semesters. In Postgraduate level, students are completed total 36 credit hours where 30 credit hours go at reading semester, one for seminar & rest 05 credit hours for thesis. The students may also get admission at the Ph.D level in this department.
Students: Around 350 students complete their B.Sc.Ag(Hons) program every year with accomplishing the extension course of 14 credit hours both theoretical and practical. At Postgraduate & Ph.D level, the department offers two semesters in a year. The students can get admitted themselves at any semester after fulfill the requirements. Around 30 students get chance to admit at the Postgraduate level for MS course.
Field Trip: At the part of the course curriculum of B.Sc.Ag(Hons) program, the students get an opportunity to participate for a week long field trip at the upazilla level of any district in Bangladesh. In this trip, the students receive the experiences at field level though the interaction with the farmers and extension service personnel.
Programs: Training, Seminar, Symposium, work shop etc are arranged at different times for fruitful the extension education. Farmers’ training, Technology transfer program etc. are conducted under the supervision of this department through outreach program section of this university.
Laboratories: The department has two different laboratories for the undergraduate & postgraduate students equipped with modern facilities.
Internet Facilities: The department as well as the total academic building covered with wi-fi facilities.
Study Tour: Study tours are arranged at different times under the supervision of the department at research institutions, educational institutions, historical & natural places of Bangladesh.
Vice-Chancellor: Prof. Md. Shadat Ulla VC of this university is the professor of Agricultural Extension & Information System. Besides performing his core duties & responsibilities, he also conducted the courses at Postgraduate & Ph.D level. The students of the Department in their words stated that we are lucky as the students that as we can achieve a significant Knowledge by participating the class of the Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor.
Faculty Members: SAU skilled and experienced teachers are conducted the educational and administrative activities of this department. There are 20 teachers in this department. A total number of 05 professors, 01 Associate professors, 09 Assistant professors and 05 lecturers are conducting the courses at the Undergraduate, Postgraduate & Ph.D level. Among the professors, Md. Shadat Ulla holds the vice-chancellor’s post of this university. His enthusiastic and enlightenment discussion methods make the students proficient in the sectors of administration, supervision, management, etc. fields of extension as well as the national aspects.
Prof. Muhammad Hussain Bhuyain, a pioneer named in the agriculture field extension in our country providing his valuable services for this department as well as the agriculture development. Professor Bhuiyan is the author of five books, two for school level and three for University level students. He is well known to the students and teachers of all Agricultural Universities of Bangladesh for his books written on Agricultural Extension Education. Besides, he has more than two dozens of scientific publications and popular articles to his credit. Above all he is a valiant Freedom Fighter. He participated in the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971 after receiving military training in India. Professor Bhuiyan is a socially conscious person who is associated with so many social and philanthropic organizations.
Professor M Zahidul Haque, former dean, faculty of Agriculture is the faculty member of this university. He is a fimilar persons for his unique & extraordinary write up based on the analysis of contemporary views on various topics. Prof. Dr. Md. Rofiqul Islam provides his efforts in the analyzed extension communication system for the agricultural development. He also provides analytical development, education and career guidance to students besides academic curriculum. Prof. Dr. Md. Sekender Ali is the chairman of this department. He visited Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya of West Bengal and Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, India in connection with research and academic matters for conducting his Ph.D. degree programme. Dr. Ali has 23 research articles published in different recognized journals of home and aboard. Dr. Ali has conducted a number of researches on various agricultural and life-science subjects and established a digital archive (http://www.daatj.net) on MS/M.Sc. and PhD Theses/Dissertations and Journals of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh; Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU), Gazipur and Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU), Dhaka. Academicians, researchers, librarians, students, policy makers, extension providers, farmers etc. are getting benefits from this archive.
Mohammad Zamshed Alam is an associate professor while, Md. Abul Bashar, Mohammed Shofi Ullah Mazumder, Md. Humayan Kabir, Md. Mahbubul Alam, Ranjan Roy, Thahamina Begum, Kh. Zulfikar Hossain, Shilpi Kundu, Md. Wali Ahad Setu conducting academic activities as the assistant professor respectively. The lecturers post of this department are occupied by Md. Javed Azad, Nur-e-Shahrin, Mirza Mobashwerul Haque, Masum Kamran and Tanushree Mondal.
Agricultural Extension Education : Agricultural Extension is taught as the applied social science in agriculture science. The idea about agriculture extension in the social science as agricultural extension is an applied social science that discuss on education, teaching methods, communication techniques, the technology transfer process, program formulation, assessment, personality, leadership, motivation etc. along with various aspects of human behavior with a view to changing the farmers behavior towards modern cultivation as well as improve their living standers. University Students learn the knowledge about agricultural extension through formal education at first and then disseminate the extension education service through non-formal process. Students learn at extension education on administration, supervision, management, policy, procedure, statement of work, schedule, responsibility teaching methods, communication techniques, the technology transfer process, program formulation, assessment, personality, leadership, motivation etc. for the purpose of agricultural extension both theoretical and practical.
Agricultural Extension Process in Bangladesh: Agriculture plays important role in our GDP covering 16.5% in the fiscal year 2013-14. Though this rate is declined comparing with previous years but our country is now almost food secure condition due to continuous efforts of strong linkage of research-education-extension service. The research institutions continuously innovating improved method, technology, yielding varieties of different crops, modern intercultural operations machineries i.e. seed-drill, seedling sowing mechanical machine, harvesting machines etc adopting with the need & necessity. These innovations obviously keep great contribution to agricultural production development. The advantages of the sciences are reached to the farmers’ door by the extension activities in our country for a long time. The advantages of agricultural innovations are trailed at the farmer’s door through method demonstration, result demonstration, group meeting & different informal education with the help of Agricultural extensions. The social value, traditions, culture, religious, influencing of peer groups, social institutions contribute great efforts to adoption a new technology. If the farmers adopt a new technology, then he cultivates the crops in his fields. In the time of production of new varieties, he may face various problems.
Then he informs the extension service provider & the farmers problems would precede to the research organization. The research organization formulates the farmers’ problem and the transfer the solution to the farmers through extension service.
So, it is called extension is a two way communication process. By observing the more advantages of new innovation of a farmers’ field, the others also inspired to cultivate that varieties through the law of association learning. These extension educations are provided to the students as a formal education at SAU.
(Sheikh Mohammed Mamur Rashid (Mahin), E-mail : [email protected]; Cell: +8801912982581)
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