Photo: BSS

DHAKA, May 6, 2025 (BSS) - The Dhaka University (DU) is set to lead two international research projects involving Tk 100 crore.

The projects will be financed by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Meteorology department and Fisheries department of the university have been selected for these international research initiatives under the JST-run Science and Technology Research Partnership for Sustainable Development (SATREPS) program for the fiscal year 2025, a university press release said here today.

The first project titled "Building a Flood-Resilient Society by Improving Flood Forecasting in the Context of Climate Change" is under the Department of Disaster Science and Climate Resilience.

Chairperson of the department of Meteorology Dr. Fatima Akter will lead the Bangladesh part of the project as the Principal Investigator (PI) and Professor Dr. Toru Terao of the Faculty of Education at Kagawa University will serve as the PI for the Japan part.

The project duration is five years and with a funding of 500 million Japanese Yen it aims to contribute to the development of disaster prevention strategies in the context of climate change.

While the second project titled "Water Quality Monitoring and Purification Technology in Dhaka Metropolitan Area" is under the Department of Environmental Science.

The project also has a duration of five years and a funding of 500 million Japanese Yen.

Prof. Dr. Anwar Hossain of the Department of Fisheries will be the Principal Investigator (PI) for the Bangladesh component and Prof. Dr. Koji Ohtanabe of Ehime University will be the PI for the Japan component of the project.

These projects are scheduled to run from April 2026 to March 2031. May 2025 to March 2026 will be a probationary period of the projects, read the press release.

DU VC Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Khan said, "Japan is our trusted friend and this friendship transcends politics.”

These projects will directly impact the socio-economic development of the country and people will benefit from them, he added.