Photo: BSS

JAHANGIRNAGAR UNIVERSITY, Nov 27, 2025 (BSS) - A delegation of academics and students from Jahangirnagar University (JU) is taking part in the 15th Asian Regional Conference (ARC-15) of the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG), which began today at the Kathmandu Marriott Hotel, Nepal.

The three-day conference, jointly organized by the IAEG Bangladesh National Group (IBNG) and the Nepal Society of Engineering Geology (NSEG), has brought together delegates from more than 72 countries to discuss climate change, geohazards, sustainable infrastructure, and advanced practices in engineering geology, said JU's Geological Sciences Department Prof Dr Hossain Md Sayem this evening, confirming the matter.

Prof Dr A.T.M. Shakhawat Hossain, Convener of ARC-15, President of IBNG, and senior faculty member at JU, is leading the university's delegation. He delivered the conference briefing at the inauguration and chaired the keynote session. He is also convening Technical Session 4 on Geotechnical and Geo-Environmental Engineering, reflecting JU's strong academic leadership at the event.

Prof Dr Hossain Md Sayem, Chairman of the Department of Geological Sciences at JU and Treasurer of IBNG, is serving as a Technical Session Coordinator. He delivered an invited lecture titled "Role of Suction in Unsaturated Soils" at the Trishuli Hall, drawing attention from regional experts.

Prof Dr Mahmuda Khatun, Chair of Women in Engineering Geology (WEG) for Bangladesh and JU faculty member, coordinated the panel discussion "The Role of Women in the Development of Engineering Geology." She also presented her research on landslide-prone soils in Rangamati Sadar, showcasing JU's contribution to geo-hazard studies.

Six students from the Department of Geological Sciences at JU are attending the conference as part of the Young Engineering Geologists (YEG) group. Four of them presented research abstracts. Ektiar Uddin Mahmud Baktiar discussed climate-driven geohazards and their societal impact based on media perspectives. Md. Asmaul Islam presented a study on the performance of fly ash and cement in stabilizing low-strength soil. 

Md Shafiqul Islam Sany evaluated seasonal high-resolution automated weather station (AWS) data and its implications for sustainability, with a case study from the JU campus. Nusrat Jahan Retu presented an analysis of earthquake-induced liquefaction at the sediment mitigation dyke area of the Matarbari Mega Project.

The active participation of JU faculty members and students underscores the university's expanding academic footprint in regional collaboration and scientific research in engineering geology.

The conference will continue in Kathmandu until November 29, while a special closing ceremony will be held at Jahangirnagar University on December 2, 2025, following post-conference field excursions in Nepal.