Education Humanity And Heroism

Name: Education Humanity And Heroism
Author: আবদুল মান্নান

The essays included in this book, 'Education, Humanity and Heroism' are selections of some of my regular commentaries published in the local dailies, The Sun and The Star. Apart from a very few, the commentaries included are focused on education, selfless and heroic human beings and humanity. There was a time when humanity to others was considered a great virtue, whether in the family or in our everyday life. But with the passage of time, being humane seems to have been lost to the curse of selfishness and the continuous greed of self-seeking human beings. It has been so in the case of consumption-driven societies more than in any other place. However, all is not lost. Examples exist of ingenuity, concern and great moral courage among the great and the good but, just as often, among simple people who stand up for what is right. Nevertheless, education, once thought of as a catalyst for change in human values and behavior, in today's world now often seems to have become irrelevant. If things do not change for the better, the planet we live in will become unlivable. Education was expected to change the behaviour of human beings and enhance our humanity. Do we still believe that now? The book also contains a few essays on education in Bangladesh. During the last three decades, the country has gone through some revolutionary changes in the education system. But the system itself demands change to keep pace with the changing nature of education in the region. As Bangladesh is poor in natural resources, the only option is to transform its huge young population into assets through proper education with a focus on skills development.

আবদুল মান্নান

Born in Chittagong, Bangladesh, Professor Abdul Mannan completed his early education from the St. Placid's High School (Established in 1853), Chittagong, Government College of Commerce, Chittagong, and University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Later he completed his graduate and post graduate studies from the University of Hawaii and the Miami University, Ohio, USA, under the East West Center, US Government Fellowship in 1978. Throughout his academic career he passed all his examinations with extraordinary distinction, always occupying the top position in his class. Later on he attended the Ohio State University and London School of Economics under a World Bank Fellowship and participated in courses relating International Business. He joined the Business School of the University of Chittagong as a Lecturer in 1973. Later he served as the Chairman of the Department of Management and Dean of the Business School in the same University. On November 6, 1996 he was appointed the Vice-chancellor of Chittagong University. He served in this position till February 13, 2001. He was elected as the Chairman of the Association of Universities of Bangladesh and the Standing Committee of the Vice-chancellors (1997-99). During this period Professor Mannan also served as the Executive Committee and Council Member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, London.