Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Chittagong University 4.99

IFESCU formerly known as IFCU (Institute of Forestry,University of Chittagong) was established in 1976 within the Faculty of Sciences of the University. The Institute has been renamed as the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Chittagong University (IFESCU) since July 1998. The Institute maintains strong linkages with Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD), Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI), Bangladesh Forest Industries Development and Corporation (BFIDC), Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Department of Environment (DoE), Bangladesh Tea Research Institute (BTRI), Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO), Surveyor General of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC), Forestry Development and Training Centre (FDTC), Bangladesh Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), and many other National and International organizations like Asian Development Bank (ADB), Food and Agricultural Organiztion (FAO), United Nations Development Programne (UNDP), Forests, Trees and People Programmes (FTPP), Forest Research Institute (FRI, India), FRI (Malaysia), Asia Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutions (APAFRI, Malaysia), Regional Community Forestry Training Centre (RECOFTC, Thailand), World Bank (WB), University Putra Malaysia (UPM), University of The Philippines at Los Banos (Philippines), Jahangirnagor University, Khulna Universty (KU), Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), Pakistan Forest Institute (PFI, Pakistan) Institute of Forestry (IOF, Nepal), Integrated Centre for International Mountain Development (ICIMOD, Nepal), Yale, North Carolina State, Oregon State, Toronto, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Wales, Manchester Universities and other related organizations.

Location :
The Institute is situated in the south campus of the University which is about 20 km north of Chittagong, a cosmopolitan city with a population of approximately 3.6 million. It can be reached by shuttle train service from Chittagong railway station to the campus (five times daily). Bus service is also available from Chittagong city to the University campus. The Chittagong University campus is straddled in valleys of the hills of the Sitakunda Range. The beauty and serenity of the environment makes it very conducive for effective learning and healthy living.

The Aims, Objectives and Programs:
To provide and promote facilities for graduate and postgraduate studies and research in Forestry which may include: i) Forest and Forest Resources Management,ii) Environmental Sciences and Engineering,iii) Rubber and Cash Crop Development,iv) Wildlife Management,v) Forest Engineering and Harvesting,vi) Landscape Architecture and Outdoor Recreation,vii) Forest Extension, Forestry for Community Development and Agroforesry,viii) Watershed Management and Soil Conservation,ix) Forest Products and Industry,x) Any other discipline within the purview of Forestry, To provide teaching, training and guidance in order to prepare candidates for degree of B. Sc. (Hons.) in Forestry, B. Sc. (Hons.) in Environmental Sciences, M. F. (Master of Forestry), M. Sc. in Forestry, M. Sc. in Environmental Sciences, M. Phil in Forestry, M. Phil in Environmental Sciences, Ph. D. in Forestry and Ph. D. in Environmental Science of the University; To promote and provide guidance to Forest and Environmental education and training at the undergraduate and post-graduate level in Bangladesh as and when needed To develop indigenous teaching materials in Forestry and Environmental Sciences in Bangladesh To provide courses of further study for those who are already engaged in services of Forestry and Environmental professions and inservice training for professional and diploma and certificate holders To provide consultancy service and technical assistance as requested for by organizations engaged in Forestry and Environmental Sciences To publish books, bulletins, journals, reports, etc. in Forestry and Environmental Sciences To organize National & International Symposia, Seminars, Conferences, Workshops and Training Programmes in Forestry and Environmental Sciences To undertake research in Forestry and Environment for the advancement of education in Forestry and Environmental Sciences. The undergraduate program is especially formulated to produce versatile professionals capable of relating current thinking in forestry and environment. Thus, in addition to traditional forestry subjects, the program puts strong emphasis on: Agroforestry, social forestry, forestry extension, rural development, environmental sciences and monitoring, soil conservation and watershed management, rubber, tea and coffee, wildlife management, park management and outdoor recreation and forest protection. Up-to-date facilities are available to provide coverage of subjects such as: Application of remote sensing in forestry and environmental sciences; application of computer technology in forestry and environmental research. Special attention is also paid to cover topics which are related to forestry and environmental sciences. List of course of different semesters of B. Sc. (Hons.) and M. Sc. are available in the library. The syllabus is reviewed from time to time to incorporate up-to-date information in the field of forestry and environmental sciences. Special efforts are made to develop indigenous teaching materials to supplement existing knowledge and to render the program more relevant to Bangladesh and to the subcontinent.

Legal Settings:
Management of the institute is vested in a Governing Body (GB) which consists of: a) The Honourable Vice- Chancellor, Chittagong University, Chairman of the Governing Body. b) The Director of the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences (Member- Secretary of the Governing Body) c) The Chief Conservator of Forests, Dhaka. d) The Dean of the Faculty of Sciences, Chittagong University, Chittagong. e) The Chairman, Bangladesh Forest Industries Development Corporation, Dhaka. f) The Director, Bangladesh Forest Research Institute, Chittagong. g) The Conservator of Forests, Chittagong Circle, Chittagong. h) Two elected teacher representatives of the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences. i) One representative from each of the Senate, the Syndicate and the Academic Council nominated by the respective bodies of the University of Chittagong. j) The Divisional Chief (Agriculture), Planning Commission, or his nominee not bellow the rank of Joint Chief, Sher¬ e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka k) The Director, Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries, Chittagong University. I) One representative from the Ministry of Forest and Environment (not below the rank of Joint Secretary). m) One representative of Research Bodies related to Forestry to be nominated by the Syndicate. n) The Member-Director (Forestry), or his nominee, not below the rank of Chief Scientific Officer (Forestry), BARC, Dhaka. o) The Director General, Department of Environment, or his nominee (not below the rank of Director). The wide representation reflects the inherent and internse versatility of forestry education and is intended to inject impetus into the curriculum development. Staff and Developement: To Strengthen the teaching, research and extension capabilities of the Institute, a UNDP/FAO project "development of professional education in the forestry sector" (BGD/85/011) was initiated in November 1986. The projects outcome were: i. Technical expertise (international recruited professors) in Rural Sociology and Forest Extension, Silviculture, Agroforestry and Forest Ecology, Forest Inventory, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Forest Resource Management and Forest Economics, Forest Engineering & Logging, Forest Products and Wood Utilization, ii. Fellowships for IFESCU academic staff to pursue higher degrees in prestigious institutions abroad in various fields of forestry, iii. Teaching materials (lecture notes prepared by expatriate professors), books, scientific journals, and other references for Institute library, iv. Various equipments for teaching and research. The UNDP/FAO project was terminated in December 1991. Further support has been received to prepare documents, to consolidate the progress made in Phase-1; to support postgraduate research programs and for infrastructural developments of the Institute. Besides 22 regular teaching staff, the Institute employs experienced professional foresters, scientists, researchers and professors on a part time basis from FD, BARC, BFRI, BFIDC, BIT and related Departments of the University of Chittagong and other educational institutions.

Facilities:
Sufficient facilities are available for the students and the faculty members. Other facilities include: Library: The Main Library of CU has thousands of books, references and other reading materials. IFESCU maintains its own seminar library with adequate books, journals, references and other reading materials covering Forestry, Environmental Sciences and related fields. Computers: Micro-computers with Internet facilities are available at IFESCU for teaching and research. Student Dormitory: IFESCU has a hall named Masterda Surja Sen Hall divided into two-boys and girls- blocks for the accommodation of 227 students. Cafeteria: Canteen and tea stall are annexed to the IFESCU hostel.

Infirmary: Free medical services are rendered for students and faculty members at the Chittagong University medical centre within the campus. Transport: The University provides a fleet of buses to transport staffs and students from the highway (junction CU- Chittagong-Rangamati Road) to and around the campus, and to Chittagong city (staff only). A shuttle train runs between Chittagong City and University campus five times everyday. IFESCU has a fleet of vehicles of its own for running field practical & tours. Sports: Football field, basketball court, hockey field, tennis court, squash court etc. are available for physical fitness of the staff and students of the University.

BNCC: The Bangladesh National Cadet Core (BNCC) provides physical training and rifle training to the students within CU campus. The students of IFESCU are currently joined with BNCC.

Nursery and Campus Plantation: The Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences has a plantation unit of its own. A massive plantation program in the hills and valley land of the Chittagong University Campus was undertaken for academic, research, aesthetic, recreational and biodiversity conservation purposes. In addition it is also considered to establish wildlife habitat along with the natural resources and to generate employment opportunities for the local people and thereby helping in viral development and poverty alleviation The plantation program was initiated in the year 1982 and till date an area of about 450 acres out of about 800 acres of hills and valley land has been planted successfully with different timber, wood fuel, medicinal, rare and endangered species. At present we have 110 different tree species in the campus. Out of the total species there are 17 rare and endangered, 27 timber, 12 fruits, 30 medicinal species and the rest are fast growing firewood and non-timber forest products (NTFPs.) There is a permanent nursery covering an area of about 2 hectares in the Institute campus which is used by the teachers and students for research works and for raising quality seedlings. Quality planting materials are distributed to other departments/ agencies to encourage tree planting in order to reduce environmental pollution. To operate the plantation unit a plantation coordinator and a officer is responsible. Plantation coordinator is appointed for one or two year from among the teachers of the Institute. The total work force of the unit is 12. Physical Infrastructure: Bangladesh Government has obtained financial assistance from the World Bank (WB) to build a new complex for IFESCU in 1996. The complex provides classrooms, offices, laboratories, auditorium, student hostels, residential houses for teachers and staff, and sport facilities. These elaborate and spacious facilities are designed to promote teaching and research excellence at IFESCU. The Ministry of Forest and Environment and Forest, Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh supporting the Institute through Forest Resource Management Project (FRMP) sponsored by the World Bank towards infrastructure development of IFESCU and to equip it for ensuring standard education.