Prof. Dr. SMA Faiz was appointed as the new chairman of University Grants Commission for four years under the University Grants Commission Act, 1973. The appointment order to this effect was issued on Thursday, which would be considered effective from the date of his joining.
Dr. Faiz was an eminent academic and former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University; he had also acted as the chairman of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission. He is entitled to salary, allowances, and other benefits as per the prevailing regulations.
Background and Career
SMA Faiz was the 26th vice chancellor of Dhaka University from September 2002 to January 2009. Earlier he had been the youngest ever chairman of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission from 1993 to 1998. Dr Faiz was born to originally hailed 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India in Dhaka, accomplished his early education in the same city and then joined Medical College for some time. He then transferred to the University of Dhaka, graduating and earning his master's degree in Soil Science in 1968.
Then Dr. Faiz proceeded to the UK for a PhD in Soil: Plant Water Relations from the Department of Botany, University of Aberdeen, under the supervision of Regius Professor P.E. Weatherley. Upon completion of his PhD in just over two years he came back to independent Bangladesh in March 1973.
Teaching and Leadership Positions
Dr. Faiz commenced his teaching career as an assistant professor in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Dhaka in July 1973. He became an associate professor in 1977 and, later, a full professor in 1986. He was the chairman of the Department of Soil Science from 1988 to 1991 and was elected dean of the Faculty of Biological Sciences at Dhaka University from 1991 to 1993. He has held various leadership positions such as president of the Dhaka University Teachers Association and the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers Associations.
He has over 100 scientific papers published in national and international journals; some of the works were included in the books published by McGraw-Hill and Academic Press. He is one of the editors of the book "Climate Change and Food Security in South Asia," published by Springer in the Netherlands.
After his retirement in 2014 from the University of Dhaka, Dr. Faiz continued his academic engagement and is attached with a personal feeling to State University of Bangladesh, now a private university.
Expectation and Future Plan
The new chairman of UGC, Prof. Dr. SMA Faiz, is expected to utilize his rich experience in academic leadership and higher education policy-making to steer Bangladeshi higher education toward more growth and reform.