Shahjalal University of Science and Technology

Shahjalal University of Science and Technology
Established	25 August 1986
Type	Public
Chancellor	Abdul Hamid
Vice-Chancellor	Professor Dr. Md. Saleh Uddin
Academic staff	1,468
Admin. staff	502
Students	15,314 (main campus 10,014) (affiliated campuses 5,300)
Location	Kumargaon, Sylhet, Bangladesh
Campus	Urban 320 acres (130 ha) (Main campus) 173 acres (70 ha) (Affiliated campus)
Academic departments	25
Athletics	12 varsity teams
Nickname	SUST
Affiliations	Association of Commonwealth Universities International Association of Universities Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World University Grants Commission World Health Organisation
Website	SUST.edu

Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (also known as SUST) is a state supported, not-for-profit, research university located in Sylhet, Bangladesh. It is also one of the nine PhD granting research universities of Bangladesh.

The university was founded by the Government of Bangladesh according to a university act in 1986 to give special importance in science and technology education. It is the first specialized science & technology university of the country. After SUST, seven more science and technology universities have been established in Bangladesh. From the beginning of the university it has been strongly following the education system and academic curriculum of the Massachusetts schools. In 2012, SUST ranked 312 in the world in Engineering & Technology in the QS World University Rankings.

History

The 1 km; entrance way to SUST campus

Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) was established in 1986. The campus is located in Kumargaon, approximately five kilometers away from the heart of Sylhet City Centre. The university started its academic programme with three departments: physics, chemistry and economics. The first convocation of SUST was held on 29 April 1998 and the second convocation of the university was held on 6 December 2007.

SUST is the first specialized science & technology university of Bangladesh. The medium of instructions is English. It is the most IT enabled university of the country. SUST is the first university in Bangladesh providing whole campus free Wi-fi access for students & staffs. The university introduced an integrated honors course for the first time in Bangladesh and it introduced the semester system (American credit system) from the 1996-97 session. According to the masterplan for the university, within a few years Shahjalal University of Science and Technology will be one of the finest institutions of the region.

The university students invented and introduced the paperless 24/7 SMS Based Automated Registration of Admission Test procedure for the first time in Bangladesh. Interested students can complete the registration process through mobile phone messages. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched the system on 13 September 2009. For the invention, the University won an Ambillion Award in a competition of South Asian countries in 2010 and National Award for E-Content and ICT for Development Award 2010. Now, most of the public universities in Bangladesh have adopted this process of registration.

Academics

Liberation War Memorial Chetona'71

Admission

SUST enrolls undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students. Students who want to get admission into SUST need to pass the admission test which is highly competitive. SUST admission test is considered as one of the toughest in Bangladesh. Admission tests are arranged by the specific schools under the authority of admission council. In 2012-2013 session undergraduate admission test 40,881 candidates competed against of 1,385 seats. The acceptance rate of SUST is 3.39%.

Grading system

The academic year consists of two semesters. Academic courses are based on credit system. The grading system:

Grading System in SUST

Class Interval	Letter Grade	Grade Point
80-100	A+	4.00
75-79	A	3.75
70-74	A-	3.50
65-69	B+	3.25
60-64	B	3.00
55-59	B-	2.75
50-54	C+	2.50
45-49	C	2.25
40-44	C-	2.00
0-39	F	0.00

Student scores overall CGPA above 3.75 is awarded distinction.

Conference

Central Auditorium Interior

Every year SUST arranges International Conference on Engineering Research, Innovation and Education (CERIE). In ICERIE more than hundred universities attended from different parts of the world and presents research papers in the field of Architecture, Chemical Engineering and Polymer Science, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Industrial and Production Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Petroleum and Geo-resources Engineering, Food Engineering and Tea Technology.

Major conferences hosted every year by SUST:

• International Conference on Engineering Research, Innovation and Education (ICERIE)
• International Conference on Advance Physics (ICAP)
• International Conference on Environmental Technology and Construction Engineering for Sustainable Development (ICETCESD)

Excluding these, the academic departments hosts numerous conferences on respective fields regularly.

Carnival

Every year SUST arranges three days CSE Carnival. This is the largest campus carnival held in a Bangladesh.^{[citation needed]} The carnival offers Inter University Programming Contest, Software Exposition, Job Fair, Seminar and Gaming Contest. Every year more than hundred universities participate in the carnival.

Collaboration

Mascots made by the Architecture students, for the Pohela Boishakh procession

SUST has academic collaboration with following institutes:

• Karlsruhe University, Germany
• University of Calabria, Italy
• Fachhochschule, Germany
• Saint Mary's University (Halifax), Canada
• Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Finland
• Lund University, Sweden
• Heidelberg University, Germany
• Assam University, India
• Staffordshire University, UK
• Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, Germany
• Jiangsu University, China
• University of Calabria, Italy
• Institute on Membrane Technology, Italy
• University of Waikato, New Zealand
• Bilkent University, Turkey
• United Nations Development Programme

Ranking

In 2012, SUST ranked 312 in the world in Engineering & Technology in the QS World University Rankings.

Schools and departments

SUST programming team placed 98th among 2200 universities in ACM ICPC 2012

SUST has 26 departments under 7 schools. According to the master plan it will have 8 schools with a number of departments. By following the master plan of the university, one more school and some departments are under consideration. The schools are:

School of Agriculture and Mineral Sciences

• Department of Forestry and Environmental Science

School of Applied Sciences & Technology

• Department of Architecture
• Department of Chemical Engineering and Polymer Science
• Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Department of Computer Science and Engineering
• Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
• Department of Food Engineering & Tea Technology
• Department of Industrial and Production Engineering
• Department of IT & Software Engineering (under consideration)
• Department of Materials Science & Design Engineering (under consideration)
• Department of Petroleum & Mining Engineering

School of Life Sciences

A view of an academic building of SUST

• Department of Bio-Chemistry and Molecular Biology
• Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

School of Law

• Department of Law (under consideration)

School of Management and Business Administration

• Department of Business Administration
• Department of Business & ICT (under consideration)

School of Medical Sciences

Central Mosque

• 5 Medical colleges

School of Physical Sciences

• Department of Pharmacy (under consideration)
• Department of Chemistry [1]
• Department of Geography and Environment (GEE)
• Department of Microbiology (under consideration)
• Department of Mathematics [2]
• Department of Physics [3]
• Department of Statistics [4]

School of Social Sciences

A view of Sylhet Engineering College campus, affiliated with SUST

• Department of Anthropology [5]
• Department of Bengali
• Department of Economics
• Department of English [6]
• Department of Political Studies
• Department of Public Administration [7]
• Department of Social Work
• Department of Sociology

Affiliated college

The university has eight affiliated colleges:

• Sylhet Engineering College
• M.A.G. Osmani Medical College, Sylhet
• Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College
• North East Medical College
• Sylhet Women's Medical College
• Durre Samad Rahman Women's Red Crescent Medical College
• Sylhet Nursing College
• North East Nursing College

Institutes

The research institutes of SUST are:

CRTC Architecture

Department of Architecture Center for Research, Testing, and Consultancy (CRTC Architecture) focuses on research areas such as building planning and design, interior design, landscape development, urban planning and urban renewal, conservation of historical sites and monuments, architecture of Bengal region, sustainable design, low cost housing etc. according to regional context. The center has been widely working with the traditional house forms, settlement pattern, urban growth and architectural development of the region. Recently it has undertaken a housing project adjacent to Sylhet-Sunamganj highway that is nearly completed. The housing project offers a sustainable community environment through contemporary architectural design.

CRTC CSE

The CRTC program, Department of Computer Science & Engineering focuses on research areas such as Optical Character Recognition, Parallel Processing, Cluster Computer, CodeWitz, Asia Link Project, Cellular Phone & Computer Interfacing, Bangla Computerization, Natural Language Processing etc. The software house offers professional working environment to the students.

CRTC CEE

Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) department established the centre for research, testing and consultancy (CRTC) to provide research, testing and consultancy services in 2003. CRTC designed water treatment plant to remove high concentration of iron (>11 mg/lit) in ground water of Sylhet region, such a plant has been successfully operating in Hotels in Sylhet city. CTRC already planned and designed the structural and drainage systems of the Madina Garden City near Sylhet International Airport including EIA and recently has been working for Gazi Burhan Uddin Model City near Sylhet upashahar. CRTC has been performing all kind of testing in the field of water, waste water, cement, concrete, rod beam, soil, air, noise etc. since 2003.

CRTC Physics

The CRTC program, Department of Physics has numbers of research groups have research activities in areas of Theoretical and Experimental Nuclear Physics, Nonlinear Optics, Thin film Magnetism, Neutron Scattering, Neutron Activation Analysis, Neutron Radiography, Defects in Solids, Semiconductor Physics, Condensed Matter Physics, Gravitational Physics and Celestial Mechanics and Theoretical Physics.

Life at SUST

Campus

Shah Paran Hall

SUST has a campus area of 320 acres which is famous for its natural beauty. Many visitors come to Sylhet visit the "Shahid Minar" (Martyr's Memorial) of the university. The memorial stands on the top of a small hill and is surrounded by trees. Different cultural organizations arrange programs on the premises on local and national occasions.

The first ever Bangladesh Mathematics Olympiad was held in Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in 2004.

Students of SUST consistently take a good number of places in the country's national civil service examinations.^{[citation needed]} Many alumni can be found doing graduate studies and researches at renowned universities around the world.^{[citation needed]}

Prominent teachers/lecturers there include the Bangladeshi writer and scientist, Muhammed Zafar Iqbal, who is a professor of Computer Science and Engineering as well as the head of the department.

Classes

SUST has an extensive core curriculum required of all undergraduates. SUST is the first university in Bangladesh to adopt American course credit systems for all departments. The syllabus are always updated frequently to maintain the global standard of education.

Library

University Central Library

SUST has a common Central Library with a collection of 180,000 volumes and 300 current periodical subscriptions for all academic departments. The library includes electronic copies of books, which can be accessed from any academic department through electronic local area networking(LAN). Per year around 2000 volumes are added in this library. The library building of SUST is famous for its attractive triangular shape. It has also a free internet browsing facility and rental library program. Additionally, there are also departmental library in each academic department and hall library in each residential halls. Library has an Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) and its URL is http://library.sust.edu

International Students

SUST also welcomes foreign students. There is a significant number of international students, especially from Nepal. There are also some students in its affiliated medical college from Indian Kashmir. Every year SUST receives applications from abroad. Most international students come from Nepal, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, Japan, Afghanistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Palestine, China, Myanmar etc.

Halls of Residence

Ladies Hall

Currently there are 5 halls of residence. A significant number of students reside privately near the university area of Sylhet metro.

Halls of Residence

• Shah Paran Hall
• 2nd Students Hall
• Syed Mujtaba Ali Hall
• 1st Ladies Hall
• Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall

There are also well decorated houses for the faculty members of SUST. University authority is also running some private halls of residence outside the main campus especially for female students to confirm cent percent guaranteed housing for female students. These Halls are:

• Amir Complex
• Fazal Complex
• Masum Villa
• Samad House
• Maa Manjil
• Sunu Mia Complex

Sports

Player Bidding Ceremony of Sports SUST Champions League 2012

The students of this university participate in sports for recreation and the finest athletes regularly compete in inter-university games like football, handball, volleyball, basketball etc. SUST has some varsity teams. There is a Cricket ground, a Football ground, a Basketball ground and well equipped gymnasium adjacent to the university student health center. SUST is the only university to have Professional Cricket League and Professional Football League. Students organize both inter-department and inter-university tournaments for popular games every year. Girls and teachers also participate in several games.

University School

SUST has a university school of secondary level inside the campus for the children of staffs. The school also receives general students.

Photos of SUST

Language Movement Monument

Seating at top of the hill

• 

  Entrance

• 

  Lake at SUST campus

• 

  University Square

• 

  Convocation 2007

• 

  SUST Central Mosque Minaret

• 

  Academic Building A

• 

  Academic Building B

• 

  Academic Building C

• 

  Academic Building D

• 

  Road to Academic Buildings E

• 

  A view of University Library Building

• 

  Main Road of SUST Campus

• 

  IPE Workshop

• 

  Basketball Ground

• 

  Open Field

• 

  Ladies Hall

• 

  University Square(View from the Register Building)

• 

  100 stair-steps of Shahid Minar

• 

  View from the Back of Shahid Minar

• 

  Down Stairs of Shahid Minar

• 

  Shahid Minar

• 

  Shahid Minar

• 

  Cafeteria

• 

  B Building

• 

  University Health Center

Student organisations

University Central Auditorium

• Shahjalal University Debating Society (SUDS) (established in 1992)
• Ongikar Shangskritik Songsad (established in 1993)
• Tourist Club SUST (established in 1995)
• Shikorh (established in 1995)
• Shahjalal University Photography Association (SUPA) (established in 1996)
• Chokh Film Society (CFS) (established in 1996)
• Rokon Ifthekhar Memorial(RIM) (established in 1997)
• Theater SUST (established in 1997)
• Maavoi Abrittee Samsod (established in 1998)
• Dik Theater (established in 1999)
• NONGAR (established in 2003)
• KIN (established in 2003)
• SUST Science Arena (established in 2004)
• Sports SUST (established in 2005)
• Quantum Foundation: SUST Cell (established in 2005)
• SUST Writers Club (established in 2005)
• Shah Jalal University Speakers Club(SUSC) (established in 2005)
• Swapnotthan (established in 2007)
• Cartoon Factory (established in 2007)
• Natai
• Sonchalon (established in 2008)
• Aaj Muktomoncho (established in 2008)
• Kaizen SUST (established in 2011)
• SUST Career Club (SUSTCC) (established in 2012)
• Green Explore Society (GES) (established in 2012)
• Copernicus Astronomical Memorial of SUST (CAM SUST) (established in 2012)
• UNYSAB SUST wing (established in 2012)
• Aniket Sangskritik Songho
• Anti Smoking And Anti Narcotic Organization
• Bangladesh National Cadet Corps, SUST
• Bangladesh Red Crescent Society
• Career Design Center
• Education Watch
• Monthly Protidhoni
• Nirapod Shorok Chai
• Promising Youth
• Student Aid SUST

Notable Alumni

• Amit Bikram Deb; Researcher at NASA, former faculty of Oxford University
• Maruf Maniruzzaman; Software Engineer at Microsoft

Contact

Shahjalal University of Science and Technology Kumargaon, Sylhet-3114, Bangladesh Phone: PABX : 880-821-713491, 714479, 713850, 717850, 716123, 715393 FAX : 880-821-715257, 725050

Notable faculty

• Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Professor,Department of Computer Science & Engineering and Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
• Dr. Muhammad Younus, Professor, Department of Chemistry
• Dr. M Habibul Ahsan, Professor, Department of Physics
• Dr. Mohammad Aktarul Islam Chowdhury, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Dr. Md. Abul Kalam Azad, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
• Dr. Abdul Awwal Biswas, Professor, Department of Anthropology

External links

• Official website