Universities in Bangladesh Making Strides Towards Home-Grown Innovations

|

This page in:

Professor Hasan and his assistant passionately illustrating contributions of their sub-project in the interview at BUET – Shiro Nakata
Thanks to our research program, we have been able to save the lives of at least 10 women by detecting their breast cancer at early stages,” enthusiastically says Dr. Md. Kamrul Hasan, a professor at Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (DEEE), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka.
 
Dr. Hasan is the manager of the cancer detection research project, which is one of the sub-projects awarded with research grants from the Academic Innovation Fund (AIF) program under the Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP). Faculty members and research students of the department joined together for the research project.
 
Lack of access to research grants and proper research environment has long been a major headache for researchers in developing countries like Bangladesh, especially in fields of science and technology. Bangladeshi scholars, who go abroad for their studies, often prefer to stay back in the host countries out of concern for availability of research facilities and financial resources indispensable for pursuing their academic work.

Even for a seasoned researcher like Dr. Hasan, access to research grants does not come easy in Bangladesh.
 
The AIF was the first major research fund for me. No other research grants are available for researchers in BUET except for small grants from the university and some government agencies,” explained Dr. Hasan.
 
Ultrasound machine procured under the sub-project and in operation at BUET Medical Center – Dr. Md. Kamrul HasanThe AIF program addresses such challenges by providing much-needed research and development grants to Bangladeshi universities through a transparent competitive funding mechanism. With the AIF grant of about US$120,000, Dr. Hasan’s research project aims at enhancing elasticity imaging technique for breast cancer detection and characterization which may assist tumor detection and classification in the absence of sufficient number of experienced healthcare professionals in Bangladesh. His sub-project acquired an ultrasound-based elastography machine and its accessories, installed them at BUET Medical Center, and developed an enhanced elasticity imaging technique. So far, 371 patients have been tested for breast cancer under the sub-project. Patients are referred by a surgeon and scanned by two radiologist with whom Dr. Hasan has a research collaboration agreement. With elasticity imaging technique as a complementary diagnostic modality of conventional ultrasonography, it has become easier to detect and distinguish malignant tumors using ultrasound scans. This greatly helps Bangladesh physicians to make more accurate diagnoses of breast tumors and spare patients from unnecessary invasive biopsies. Scholarly contribution of his sub-project is also noteworthy. In this research project, Dr. Hasan has published six international journal articles, and four more publications are currently in preparation.

Modern technologies – often developed in the context of developed countries – sometime require local adaptation to meet particular requirements of users in developing countries like Bangladesh. Inadequate diagnostic ability of physicians is a case in point. Home-grown innovations such as Dr. Hasan’s enhanced imaging technique are the key to local adaptation of imported technologies as well as creation of innovative products and services that cater to the needs of Bangladeshis.
 
One day, Dr. Hasan wishes, the medical professionals in Bangladesh will be able to enjoy the benefit of the enhanced elastrography as a non-invasive diagnostic tool to detect breast cancers at earlier stages and reduce breast cancer-related mortality in Bangladesh.
 
Ultrasound scan image easier to diagnose, produced with two modes of the ultrasound imaging technology – Shiro NakataThe AIF program has made considerable impacts with respect to upgrading teaching and learning at universities and promoting academic research in Bangladesh. Eighty nine sub-projects like Dr. Hasan’s were implemented in Round 1, followed by 105 sub-projects currently being implemented under Round 2. The program has just accepted proposals for Round 3, which is also expecting about 100 sub-projects to be funded.

Some of the important issues which still need to be addressed are sustainability of the achievements of the sub-projects as well as the transparent framework for competitive research grants. Even so, the university community is hopeful as the AIF program takes the first crucial step in laying the foundation for better learning and research in the higher education sector of Bangladesh.

Topics
Countries
Regions

Authors

Shiro Nakata

Senior Education Economist

Dr. M. Zakir Hussain
April 15, 2014

This is our pleasure that an International Education Specialist Dr.Shiro Nakata was pleased to see the success of one of the HEQEP successful AIF sub-projects. No doubt the cancer detecting AIF sub-project is an indicator of successful implementation of projects using Academic Innovation Fund in Bangladesh. I am telling about another AIF sub-project implemented by Department of Crop Botany of Bangladesh Agricultural University(BAU),Mymensingh deals with screening of salinity tolerance as well as introduction of early harvesting rice variety in the coastal belt of Patuakhali, Bhola and Barguna districts.Which may be another success of AIF grants under HEQEP.

ahmad
April 16, 2014

Feeling proud as a HEQEP team member. Thanks to Shiro for showcasing such an innovative project. We are waiting for some new tremendous projects from AIF 3rd round. Salutation to Dr. Hasan.

Tanweer
April 16, 2014

That's a great story. It's a fact that Bangladeshi researchers don't get enough facilities and research environment here in this country. But if they could get, they would have done significant research works. Nevertheless, many researchers are pursuing their works under such circumstances, which is undoubtedly praiseworthy.

Zahurul Alam Chowdhury
April 17, 2014

I congrats Dr.Kamrul for his contribution in this research and thanks to sponsor like worldbank to support through AIF under HEQEP.
I feel proud for great work done by Dr. Kamrul as being a BUET classmate of him.

kalyanaraman
December 25, 2014

Congratulations Dr.Kamrul and team for their contribution. This contribution will make country as well as emerging markets have access to cost effective healthcare

Dr. M. Nasir Uddin
September 06, 2015

Congratulations to Dr. Kamrul Hasan and his team for such a great innovation. I know that BUET faculty/students have the capability, only they need the financial support.
Please keep it up.